THE   DOGBERRY   BUNCH. 


BY 


MARY    HARTWELL   CATHERWOOD. 


B  0  S  T  0  X 
D     LOTH HOP     COMPANY 

FHAXKI.IX    AND    I1AWLEY    STKKKTS 


COPYRIGHT,  iS79- 
D.LOTHROP&  COMPANY. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAGB. 

1.  —  THE  'SOCIATION ^ 

2.  —  THE  HOUSE  THAT  JACK  MADE         .         .     19 

3.  —  «  o,  WHERE,  O,  WHERE  — "      .         .         .     29 

4.  —  THE  RAILROAD  MUTINY  .        .        .        -43 

5.  —  "ONE  BY  ONE  BEYOND  RECALL." —         .     53 
6. LOO  GETS  OUT  OF  AND   BEN  AND   ALICE 

GET  INTO  SOCIETY  .         .         .        .61 

7.  —  WHAT  THE  ELDEST    DOGBERRYS  DID   IN 

SOCIETY .75 

8.  —  IN  WHICH  JACK  RISES   AND   THE  TWINS 

FALL 96 

9.  —  THE  GATHERING  OF  THE  CLAN        .         .119 
10. — WHAT  THE  NEIGHBORS  SAID  ABOUT  rr     .  128 
ii.  — THE  CATHEDRAL  CHILDREN     .         .         .   134 

(v.) 


vi.  CONTENTS. 

CHAI ,  PAGE 

12. —  "No  HOME" 153 

13.  —  BLACK  SHORT-HAND         .        .        .        .171 
14. — RED  SHORT-HAND 187 

15.  —  TRIBULATION 205 

16.  —  DESPERATION 221 

17.  —  Miss  GAFF  AND  SMALLER  FRY       .         .  237 

18.  —  CHILDREN  IN  THE  WOOD         .         .         .  266 

19. JlPPETY 275 

20.  —  JIPPETY  (continued) 283 

21.  —  LIGHT  AT  LAST 298 


THE  DOGBERRY  BUNCH. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  'SOCIATION. 

N  the  state  of  Illinois  there  was 
a  two-sided  village ;  in  that  vill- 
age there  was  a  small  frame 
dwelling ;  in  that  dwelling  a 
large  square  table  ;  and  around 
this  table  sat  the  Dogberry 
Bunch.  Like  the  family  of 
Wordsworth's  little  cotter,  they 
were  seven 'in  all.  Seven  live 
and  unlike  but  strongly-united 
brothers  and  sisters,  without 
father  or  mother  to  take  care  of 
them  or  sit  with  them  at  table. 

Their  parents  had  been   dead   more   than   a   year ; 

and  as  they  got  on  very  comfortably  as  they 

7 


8  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

were,  and  their  guardian  did  not  know  what  else  to 
do  with  them,  he  let  them  alone. 

Alice  at  the  head  of  the  table,  and  Ben  at  the  foot, 
were  the  recognized  Heads  of  the  House.  Alice  was 
eighteen  —  more  than  a  year  older  than  he  —  but  her 
plump  figure  scarcely  reached  to  his  shoulder. 
Being  Miss  Dogberry,  and  of  age,  she  had  come  into 
her  estate  which  consisted  in  plans  to  get  along,  and 
working  as  assistant  teacher  in  the  schools  to  help 
the  Bunch.  They  owned  nothing  but  this  house  situ- 
ated among  shady  trees,  and  an  adjoining  lot  used  for 
a  garden,  which  their  well-wishers  prophesied  would 
sell  for  a  pretty  price  by  and  by.  I  could  not  enum- 
erate the  sad  and  hard-working  years  which  the  el- 
der Dogberrys  spent  in  saving  even  this  inheritance 
for  their  children,  out  of  sickness  and  hardship.  But 
with  the  little  house  they  left  their  Bunch  a  feeling  of 
true  independence.  Accustomed  to  work  and  to 
obey  their  elders,  they  now  worked  on,  obedient  to 
what  they  had  been  taught.  Ben,  a  large  fine  boy, 
with  a  ruddy  face  and  deep-set  eyes,  was  learning  to 
be  a  carpenter.  Jack,  ugly  but  charming,  and  full  of 
resources,  was  messenger-boy  in  the  railroad  depot 
and  general  gardener  and  repairer  at  home.  Lucy 
was  house-keeper  and  Maude  her  assistant.  Rheem, 
when  he  and  this  latter  and  favorite  sister  were  not 


The  'Satiation. 


at  school  found ''jobs  "  to  do  which  enriched  him 
and  helped  him  maintain  an  honorable  place  in  the 
Bunch's  Association.  Arthur,  the  milk  white,  big- 
browed,  three-year-old  baby,  was  the  only  one  of  the 
family  who  had  not  stated  duties. 

Around  this  square  table  I  mentioned,  the  Bunch 
were  disposed  according  to  their  likes.  Although  a 
firm  Bunch,  they  hung  in  twos.  Maude,  colorless, 
with  long  fair  hair  and  black-lashed  eyes,  of  course 
sat  close  by  her  twin,  Rheem,  who  had  more  color 
and  more  size  ;  they  answered  to  the  names  of 
Rome  and  Remus.  Ben  and  Alice  were  "  Ben  Bolt " 
and  "  Sweet  Alice  ;"  and  Jack  and  Arthur  were  uneven 
sized  mates.  Lucy  alone  went  companionless  ;  but 

as  she  was  the  house- 
mother they  all  be- 
longed to  her  j  be- 
sides she  was  so  tall 
the  Bunch  said  she 
would  do  for  two  any- 
way. She  was  indeed 
the  young  giraffe  of 
the  flock,  Benjamin 
being  obliged  to 
stretch  after  his  inches 
to  keep  her  down. 
They  ate  their  supper  with  great  relish :  it  was  a 


"  SWEET  ALICE." 


10 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


comfortable  supper  of  bread  and  milk,  apple-sauce 
and  gingerbread,  and,  the  season  being  early  June, 
a  heaping  saucer  of  strawberries  flanked  each  young 
Dogberry's  plate,  from  the  strawberry  vines  in  their 
garden. 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  nice,"  exclaimed  Jack,  who  appro- 
piately  first  breaks  silence   in  this  history,  being  the 
tinkler  who  usually  led  the  flock,  "  if  we'd   all  do   as 
children  do  in  stories :  set  out  to   seek  our   fortunes  ! 
All  start  from  this  house  and  agree  to  meet  in  a  year, 
or  several  years, 
and  every  fellow 
try  to  bring  back 
the  most !  " 

"But  who'd 
keep  house  while 
we  were  gone  ?  " 
inquired  Maude. 

"O,  the  house 
could  keep  itself 
like  i  t  always 
does  ! " 

"  I  guess  Loo  doesn't  find  that  to   be  the  case," 
remarked    Ben,    smiling   on    the   housekeeper. 

"  Jack  always  thinks  the  bread  makes  itself,  and 
his  clothes  get  clean  only  with  his  wearing  them  —  " 


ROMK  AND  RHEEM.' 


The  '  Sociation.  n 

"  O,  I'm  not  denying  you're  useful,  Lucephus," 
cried  gay  Jack,  "  you're  good  for  a  well-rope,  and 
you'd  make  a  first-rate  step-ladder  ;  and  if  you  only 
would  take  your  stand  in  the  garden  and  stay  there 
I'd  never  have  to  cut  a  bean-pole." 

"  I  don't  think  such  remarks  sound  very  well,  ad- 
dressed to  your  sister,"  came  the  soft  contralto  of 
Alice  the  teacher,  who  far  from  being  the  young  lady 
which  a  city  girl  at  her  age  would  appear,  was  only  a 
plump,  fair  child  like  the  others,  but  with  more  grav- 
ity, and  with  longer  dresses  than  Lucy's.  Country 
girls  mature  slowly. 

At  this  instant  Rheem  started  up,  exploding  the 
question : 

"  How  much  money  has  the  'Sociation,  now,  Treas- 
urer ? "  Upon  this,  all  the  seven  faces  including 
Arthur's  —  he  always  imitating  his  brothers  and  sis- 
ters—  put  on  a  serious  look,  and  the  seven  voices 
inquired  cautiously  as  became  the  voices  of  stock- 
holders : 

"Why?" 

"  Because,  if  we've  got  much  as  six  dollars  and  a 
half  we  can  buy  the  nicest  pig  of  Mr.  Smith  and  fat 
him  for  winter  1 " 

"  We  need  a  pig,"  admitted  Ben,  in  meditation. 

"The   prettiest    little    fellow,"   pleaded    Rheem; 


12  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  and  I'll  take  care  of  him,  and  Jack  will  make  a  pen* 
if  he  is  as  smart  as  he  is  at  fixing  up  some  other 
things  " — 

Here  Jack  winked  pleadingly  and  shook  his  head 
at  Remus. 

"  But  isn't  it  against  our  rules,"  said  Lucy,  "  to  spend 
the  Association  money  on  things  for  our  use  ?  I 
thought  it  was  to  start  a  —  a  —  " 

"A  fund,"  said  Ben. 

"  Well,  Rome  is  secretary,"  cried  Jack.  "  Better 
get  the  papers  and  see." 

Maude  ran  accordingly  to  the  candle-box  in  which 
her  valuables  were  stored,  and  returned  with  a  fistfull 
of  paper  bits.  As  she  turned  these  records  over,  a 
desire  arose  from  the  family  to  thoroughly  review 
their  Association ;  so  at  their  request  she  read  the 
following  Constitution  and  By-laws  : 

THE  ASSOCIATION. 

We  want  to  Club  together  to  save  money  because 
we  are  orphans  and  got  to  look  out  for  ourselves. 
And  we  do  not  want  to  be  separated.  Each  one 
must  put  in  what  he  can,  and  vote  what  will  be  done 
with  it. 

BY-LAWS. 

i st.  None  of  this  money  can  be  drawn  out  tc 
spend  for  candy. 


The  '  Sodation.  ij 

2nd.  If  four  of  the  Association  agree  to  any  invest- 
ment, the  rest  will  have  to  give  up. 

3rd.  Every  month  we  will  take  ten  cents  out  of  our 
fund  to  give  to  the  Lord. 

4th.  No  member  can  draw  the  Association  money 
unless  all  the  others  are  agreed. 

6th.  It  shall  be  invested  in  the  best  ways  we  can 
find  out. 

Signed : 

BENJAMIN  DOGBERR  Y, 
ALICE  DOGBERRY, 
JACK  DOGBERRY, 
LUCY  DOGBERR  Y, 
RHEEM  DOGBERRY, 
MAUDE  DOGBERRY, 

his 

ARTHUR  jxj    DOGBERRY 

mark 

Maude,  Secretary. 

"Now,  there's  nothing  said  in  these  documents 
about  pigs,"  said  Jack. 

"  But  there's  nothing  said  against  them  ! "  cried 
Remus  warmly. 

"  It  says,"  repeated  Maude  in  support  of  her  fa- 
vorite brother,  "  if  four  agree  to  any  investment,  the 
rest  will  have  to  give  up.  You  made  that  by-law 
yourself,  Mr.  Jack  !  " 


f 

14  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  But,"  objected  Alice,  "  it  wouldn't  be  a  real 
investment  to  buy  something  we  were  going  to  eat  up. 
We  intended  the  Association  to  save  for  us." 

"  Well,  let  us  vote,"  suggested  Ben,  amicably,  "  I'm 
president.  All  in  favor  of  putting  the  Association 
money  in  a  pig  to  fat  and  kill,  hold  up  the  hand ! " 

Perhaps  this  was  not  a  fair  way  to  put  the  question, 
and  influence  the  voters.  Remus  looked  aggrieved  as 
he  thrust  up  both  hands,  that  nobody  but  his  twin 
seconded  him. 

"Well,"  resumed  the  president:  "now  all  in  favor 
of  not  investing  in  pig,  hold  up  the  hand !  " 

All  the  other  hands  went  up,  including  Arthur's 
and  his  milk-cup  in  it,  trickling  copiously  on  his  head 
as  it  descended. 

"Now,  treasurer,"  cried  Jack,  "count  up  our  cash 
and  let  us  see  how  much  we  saved  out  of  that  pork- 
speculation." 

Lucy  went  to  her  candle-box,  at  this  suggestion, 
and  bringing  out  a  tin-case,  laid  the  wealth  of  the 
Association  before  them.  In  scrip  and  pennies  and 
half  dimes  they  piled  it  up,  counting  over  each  other's 
shoulders. 

"  Two  dollars ! "  cried  Jack  with  emphasis,  "  and 
twenty -five  and  twenty-five  are  fifty  " — 

"Three  dollars,"  said  Ben  — 


The  '  Satiation.  15 

"  And  ten  and  ten  and  fifteen  are  thirty-five  "  — 

"  Just  three  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents,"  decided 
Alice,  rising  from  counting  and  beginning  to  clear 
away  the  dishes. 

The  Association  looked  around  at  itself  rathei 
sheepishly. 

"  Humph  !  you  couldn't  'a  bought  that  pig  if  you'd 
wanted  to ! "  sneered  Remus,  the  discomfitted  fur- 
nisher of  "  points,"  with  returning  triumph. 

"  Three  dollars  wouldn't  buy  a  six  dollar  pig !  " 
added  his  twin,  to  strengthen  his  position. 

"  Well,  we  don't  want  a  pig  just  yet,  anyhow," 
laughed  paternal  Ben.  "  We'll  wait  awhile  and  get 
one  some  other  way." 

"  I  should  like  to  inquire,"  said  Jack,  rising,  as  the 
treasurer  with  her  Treasure  and  the  secretary  with 
her  scrawled  Constitution  both  disappeared  to  place 
their  charges  again  in  safety,  "  if  this  was  a  regular 
meeting?  I  was  going  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  Asso- 
ciation to-night,  and  ask  you  all  to  my  house !  " 

"  You  can't  call  a  meeting  :  you  aren't  President." 

"But  I'm  Vice.  And  the  Vice-president  has  as 
much  authority  as  the  President  in  ^^/-Association  !" 

"  Where  is  your  house,  Jack  ?  "  inquired  Lucy,  help- 
ing to  whisk  away  the  remains  of  the  suppei 

"  I  want  you   all  to  come   and  see,"  cried  Jack 


1 6  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  Arty  knows.  Don't  you  tell,  Arty !  I've  got  it  all  fur- 
nished and  finished,  and  I'm  going  to  begin  house- 
keeping there  right  off." 

Jack's  eagerness  having  a  strong  effect  upon  the 
Bunch,  it  was  not  long  before  the  girls  had  their  sup- 
per-work done,  and  the  house  so  tidy  that  any  stray 
neighbor  who  might  peep  in  would  have  to  admit  that 
the  Dogberry  children  did  not  get  on  so  badly !  Then 
they  all  ran  out  at  Jack's  heels,  Arthur  dragging  only 
a  step  behind  him,  Rome  and  Remus  with  arms  inter- 
laced, "  hippity-hopping,"  Lucy  undulating  like  a 
young  sapling  tossed  by  a  merry  wind,  and  only  Ben 
and  Alice  pretending  to  saunter,  and  they  sauntered 
eagerly ! 

I  said  it  was  a  two-sided  village  they  lived  in  :  it 
was  actually  known  as  Old  Town  'and  New  Town  ; 
the  Old  Town  having  been  a  pulseless  collection  of 
twenty  houses  until  a  railroad,  like  a  great  artery 
brought  it  hew  blood.  Then  every  enterprising  citi- 
zen dragged  his  house  to,  or  built  a  new  one  beside, 
the  railroad  ;  strangers  came  to  live  there  also,  thus 
forming  a  modern  village  where  all  the  business  and 
most  of  the  living  was  done.  But  there  were  poor 
people  and  old  settled  residents  who  preferred  to 
make  no  change,  and  still  remained  on  the  one  old 
street :  this  side  of  the  village  was  therefore  called 


The  \Sodation.  17 

Old  Town,  and  in  spite  of  the  three  or  four  pretty 
houses  on  it  was  a  sad  array  of  tumble-in  roofs  and 
shaky  dwellings. 

The  Dogberry  Bunch  lived  in  New  Town,  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  railway.  Jack  led  them  over  the 
shady  lawn  which  Nature  had  planted  so  plentifully 
with  trees,  and  the  girls  with  mounds  of  verbenas 
pansies  and  all  the  flowers  which  give  one  the  dear 
delight  of  digging  loam  in  spring-time  and  wearing 
bloom  in  summer-time.  On  one  side  of  the  lawn 
was  a  croquet  set  which  perhaps  remains  to  this  day 
a  monument  of  Dogberry  ingenuity.  The  mallets 
and  balls  Jack  turned  himself,  and  he  and  Ben  set 
up  for  wickets  piece's  of  iron  hoops  off  old  tubs.  As 
a  Bunch  they  were  invincibly  fond  of  croquet,  and 
being  forbidden  by  their  circumstances  and  Guardian 
to  spend  money  on  the  game,  they  had  to  achieve  it 
some  other  way,  and  Rome  finally  sewed  little  tri- 
umphant red-white-and-blue  flags  to  stick  on  the  tops 
of  the  painted  stakes.  On, this  victorious  field  their 
voices  might  be  heard  nearly  every  summer  evening; 
but  Jack  now  led  them  past  it  and  down  through  the 
gate  upon  the  bank  beside  the  railroad. 

"  We  don't  want  to  go  to  the  station,  Jack,"  cried 
Alice  hesitating,  as  the  troop  filed  along. 

"  Tisn't  at  the  station,"  declared  Jack. 


1 8  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  As  like  as  anyway,"  observed  Lucy  with  some 
suspicion,  "he's  playing  a  trick  on  us  as  he  did  on 
me  one  day.  He  told  me  if  I'd  run  down  here  I'd 
see  a  Cardiff  giantess  on  one  of  the  gravel-flats,  and 
he  helped  me  on  the  car,  and  when  I  couldn't  see 
anything  but  sand,  he  says,  *  Why,  here  you  are ! 
Look  at  yourself !  'A  Cardiff  giantess  ! '  "  sniffed  Lucy. 

"  'Deed  I  ain't  playing  any  trick  !  "  pleaded  Jack, 
laughing.  "  Remus  has  seen  my  house.  It's  only  a 
little  further  —  right  down  there." 

"  Like  the  Air-Castle  in  our  yard  ? "  inquired 
Maude.  "  Have  you  any  steps  to  go  up  into  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  has  steps,  but  it  isn't  a  tree."  And  div- 
ing down  the  railroad  bank,  Jack  cried :  "  Walk  in 
ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  Dogberry  'Sociation  !  This 
is  the  House  that  Jack  made  !  " 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    HOUSE    THAT    JACK     MADE,     AND     THE     FIRST 
DOINGS  IN  IT. 

JACK'S  house  was  a  caboose  which  had  stood  un- 
used upon  a  side-track  for  some  weeks.  An  old 
brick-red  affair,  with  windows  at  the  sides  and  a  door 
at  each  end,  boarded  gaily  and  coolly,  with  blue  in- 
side. This  thin  coat  of  blue  paint  Jack  had  put  on 
himself,  from  a  paint  pot  in  the  station.  The  indulg- 
ent station-master,  seeing  the  boy  always  active,  let 
him  amuse  himself  as  he  would  in  the  intervals  be- 
tween business.  And  the  result  was  that  Jack 
applied  himself  to  building  a  pleasure  resort  as  other 


2O  The  Dogberry  Bun;h. 

men,  oppressed  by  cares,  apply  themselves  to  creating 
yachts,  and  country  retreats  and  fancy  gardens.  The 
sky-color  extended  over  the  floor  also,  and  the  walls 
were  relieved  with  heavily  framed  pictures  of  scenes 
on  different  railway  routes,  exquisite  prints  of  the 
superior  inducements  one  route  offered  above  others, 
and  such  other  works  of  art  as  the  young  connois- 
seur could  get  from  the  waiting-room  in  the  depot. 
That  day  he  had  also  found  time  to  make  ropes  of 
leaves  by  fastening  them  together  with  pins  of  their 
own  stems,  and  these  gala  garlands  hung  in  festoons 
all  around  the  car.  Jack  had  a  sofa,  made  on  a  sort 
of  locker,  of  two  old  cushions  which  used  to  belong 
to  his  father's  buggy.  Several  chairs  borrowed  from 
the  station  stood  along  the  walls,  and  the  whole 
place  was  in  such  up-and-down  order  as  only  bach- 
elors admire.  Jack  helped  his  visitors  up  the  rear 
steps  of  his  palace,  and  hustled  them  in  with  great 
excitement. 

"  See,  I  can  put  these  shutters  to,"  he  cried,  "  and 
darken  the  room.  There's  a  lamp  in  this  box,  and 
there's  the  hook  on  the  ceiling  to  swing  it  to  !  Allie, 
I  want  you  to  make  me  some  white  curtains,  like  we 
have  at  our  windows.  When  it  grows  cold,  maybe  I 
can  put  a  stove  up  in  here,"  soared  Jack. 

"  Well,  what  a  boy !  "  commented  Allie's  low  con- 
tralto. 


The  House  That  Jack  Made.  21 

"This  is*  quite  a  fine  place,"  said  Ben,  "but  if  I'd 
go  and  set  up  in  the  Air-Castle  now,  and  the  girls 
and  Rheem'd  build  shingle  houses  out  among  the 
trees,  what  would  the  house  and  the  Bunch  come  to  ?" 

Rome  and  Remus  were  in  ecstacies  with  it,  and 
begged  Jack  to  let  them  play  there  every  afternoon. 
Arthur  gallopped  up  and  down  until  the  caboose 
shook,  and  then  took  up  his  station  on  a  chair  by  one 
of  the  high  windows  to  watch  the  depot,  that  haunt 
of  locomotives  which  were  the  delight  of  his  young 
soul. 

"  But  what  if  a  train  should  carry  this  off  ? "  ex- 
claimed Lucy. 

"  No  danger,"  replied  the  master  of  the  house  that 
Jack  made.  "Mr.  Joyce  says  it  isn't  needed.  It 
won't  be  moved  for  a  long  while." 

They  all  sat  down  and  tried  to  fancy  themselves 
going  on  a  long  journey  in  the  caboose.  "  To  Cali- 
fornia," suggested  Jack,  "  and  each  of  us  owning  a 
cam  in  a  big  gold  mine." 

"  To  some  place  in  the  mountains,"  said  Lucy, 
"  where  the  scenery  would  be  lovely.  And  oh !  I 
wish  we  could  see  the  ocean  !  " 

Ben  expressed  his  preference  for  a  city,  while  Alice 
desired  a  country  continually  flowering  and  maturing 
into  fruit.  Arthur,  after  listening  to  the  others  with 
wide-spread  eyes,  did  not  find  his  affections  weaned 


22  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

from  an  imaginary  place  which  he  called  "  Hiddley- 
Giddle  ;"  he  was  fond  of  telling  strange  tales  every 
day  about  what  he  did  in  this  place  with  two  dream- 
play-mates  to  whom  he  gave  the  not  very  musical 
names  of  "  Deedle  "  and  "  Sipsey."  Deedle  and  Sipsey 
were  anything  he  wanted  them  to  be.  They  were  boys 
or  girls,  or  old  men  or  dogs.  If  he  disobeyed  his  elders 
it  was  because  naughty  Deedle  or  Sipsey  "  teased  him 
to."  They  alwavs  lived  in  Hiddley-Giddle,  and  their 
unseen  coming  and  going  and  his  remarkable  conver- 
sations with  them  amused  the  whole  family  who  had 
out-grown  the  fancied  play-mates  which  do  seem  to 
throng  around  an  imaginative  child  of  three  years  old. 
"Let's  have  charades,"  said  Rome  and  Remus,  and 
the  suggestion  was  no  sooner  made  than  the  family 
divided,  Ben  with  Alice  and  the  baby  withdrawing  to, 
sit  on  the  railroad  bank,  the  rest  closing  the  shutters 
on  that  side  the  caboose  and  setting  to  work  upon  a 
44  scene."  One  or  two  flying  trips  were  made  to  the 
house  for  accoutrements,  and  then  the  audience  was 
called  up  on  the  platform  to  see  "a  charade  of 
two  syllables  and  two  scenes ; "  and  the  caboose  door, 
thrown  open  disclosed 

SCENE  FIRST, 

which    was    evidently   a  picture    of   William   Tell. 
Rheem,  with  several  cushions  piled  under  him,  made 


77*?  House  That  Jack  Made.  23 

a  brave  little  Gessler,  and  Loo  beside  him,  with  a 
broomstick  held  erect,  a  most  formidable  guard. 

"Bring  in  the  prisoner !  "  commanded  Gessler,  dim- 
pling in  spite  of  his  ferocious  character.  The  guard, 
Lucy,  at  once  opened  the  box  and  produced  Jack, 
who  gritted  his  teeth,  rolled  his  eyes,  and  in  several 
other  ways  testified  his  dislike  to  the  little  tyrant. 

"What's  your  name,  Tell?  "  inquired  Gessler. 

"Tell  yourself  !  "  responded  the  prisoner. 

"  I  told  you  to  tell ! " 

"Well,  then,  Tell." 

"  Guard,  give  the  prisoner  a  knock." 

Guard  knocked  the  prisoner,  who  howled  like  a 
school-boy,  and  pranced  with  great  agility.  This 
supple  use  of  his  person  evidently  reminded  the  ty- 
rant of  something  which  he  immediately  stated. 

"  I  hear  that  you  are  very  skillful  in  using  the  bow  ! 
I  want  to  see  you  shoot  an  apple  on  your  boy's  head." 

"  I  don't  see  his  head,"  objected  Tell. 

"Guard,  bring  the  boy  and  the  apple." 

Maude  was  brought  from  behind  a  chair,  placed  in 
position  for  supporting  the  apple,  which  was  only  the 
hollow  gourd  used  for  dipping  water  in  the  kitchen. 
This  fruit  being  put  upon  her  head,  Tell  without 
more  ado  produced  a  pea-shooter  and  peppered  it 
heartily  until  the  tyrant  expressed  himself  satisfied, 
and  the  door  closed. 


24 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


"  It's  *  tell '  something,"  commented  Ben.    But  pres- 
ently the 

SECOND  SCENE 

was  uncurtained,  and  it  seemed  to  be  a  version  of 
"Lady  Godiva." 

Jack,  with  a  bedquilt  around  him  to  represent  lordly 

robes,  a  tall  black  hat 
on  his  head,  the 
broom-stick  in  his 
hand,  and  a  hatchet 
hanging  from  his  belt, 
stalked  about  frown- 
ing, and  after  him 
came  Lady  Godiva  in 
her  sister  Alice's 
longest  dress  and  a 
shawl  trailing  from 
her  shoulders. 

After  the  pair  prom- 
enaded the  oppressed 
populace  of  Coven- 
try, represented  by 
Rheem  in  a  pair  of  his  big  brother's  which  reached 
above  his  knees  and  holding  a  pillow-case  and  a 
towel  to  his  eyes,  and  Maude  weeping  under  a  para- 
sol. 


MR.    AND    MRS.    GODIVA. 


The  House  That  Jack  Made.  25 

"  Mr.  Godiva,"  pleaded  my  lady,  "please  don't  tax 
these  poor  people  so." 

"  I  will  tax  them  all  I  please  ! "  cried  Mr.  Go- 
diva,  brandishing  his  broomstick. 

"  See  how  they  cry  !  " 

"  Well,  let  them  cry  !     It's  healthy  !  " 

Here  the  oppressed  populace  howled. 

"  O,  Mr.  Godiva,"  cried  my  lady,  "  if  you  will 
promise  not  to  tax  the  poor  people  so,  I  will  get  on  a 
horse  and  ride  clear  through  town  ! " 

This  proposition  struck  Mr.  Godiva  very  favorably, 
and  he  grasped  a  chair  to  be  used  as  my  lady's  steed. 
"Go  ahead —  I'll  promise,"  said  he. 

Mr.  Godiva  then  turned  and  spoke  to  the  populace. 

"  Now,  all  of  you  hide  your  eyes  and  don't  look  at 
me,  and  you  won't  have  to  pay  any  taxes  !  " 

The  populace  instantly  retired  to  a  corner  and 
stuck  their  heads  under  a  cushion,  while  Lady  Godiva 
mounted  her  chair;  and  her  lord  divested  himself  of 
bedquilt  and  hatchet,  and  mounted  another  chair  to 
stare  her  out  of  countenance  in  the  character  of 
Peeping  Tom.  By  the  time  the  lady  had  galloped 
the  length  of  the  caboose,  the  populace,  by  peeping 
themselves,  had  become  aware  of  his  staring,  and 
the  descent  they  made  on  him  again  closed  the  door. 

"  Cry  ?  Tax  ?  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  Alice  of  Ben 
"  Dear  me !  We  mustn't  let  them  be  so  noisy !  All 


26  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

the  people  in  town  will  be  coming  to  see  what  is  the 
matter ! " 

Half  a  dozen  boys,  who  were  happy  and  ragged  in 
their  Saturday's  release  from  school,  and  ready  to  in- 
terest themselves  in  whatever  might  turn  up,  were 
pressing  up  to  the  rear  of  the  caboose ;  and  resting 
their  chins  on  the  platform  they  saw  the  charade's 
final 

TABLEAU. 

A  peculiar  kind  of  sheep  meandered  out  from 
some  hiding-place  in  the  caboose,  with  a  buffalo  robe 
tied  around  him  and  Jack's  head  appearing  at  one 
end  ;  and  after  it  came  a  smaller  sheep  in  plaid  shawl 
fleece  and  two  paper  horns  over  its  bright  eyes ;  and 
still  another  sheep,  all  white,  with  long  blonde  hair 
hanging  over  dark  eye-lashes.  It  is  impossible  to  tell 
alt  the  pranks  these  sheep  played.  Their  idea  of  a 
tableau  was  very  animated  !  They  bleated  and  ran 
at  each  other;  they  skipped,  and  came  down  in  a 
stiff-legged  jump  which  was  side-splitting.  Over  their 
pasture-fence  of  chairs  they  went  with  perfect  disre- 
gard of  their  shins,  the  small  sheep  always  following 
where  the  large  one  led.  Great  tableau,  this  ! 

At  last,  head  down,  and  still  frisking  with  the  stiff- 
legged  jump,  they  disappeared ;  and  at  once  a  dis- 


The  House  That   Jack  Made.'  27 

tracted  little  shepherdess  appeared,  her  short  dress 
tucked  up,  her  hat  pushed  back,  and  the  broomstick 
again  brought  into  play  as  her  crook.  The  word  was 
without  doubt  "  Bo-Peep  !  "  Wilhelm  Tell's  "  bow  " 
(which  seemed  unfair  as  he  used  a  pea-shooter)  and 
Tom's  "  peep  "  made  the  charade. 

The  town  ragamuffins  applauded  so  heartily,  and 
were  so  eager  to  introduce  themselves  into  the 
caboose,  that  they  soon  excluded  Jack's  first  guests. 
It  was  growing  dusk,  and  a  breathless  heat  stifled  the 
landscape. 

"We  shall  have  a  storm  to-night,  I  believe,"  said 
one  of  the  Bunch,  as  they  all,  excepting  Jack,  strolled 
back  to  the  house. 

He  came  later,  while  they  sat  in  the  Air-Castle  and 
on  the  stoop,  to  tell  them  he  meant  to  sleep  in  his 
own  house  that  night ! 

"  You  better  come  home,  dear,"  said  Alice,  who, 
high  in  the  old  tree  where  a  seat  was  fixed,  called  by 
the  children  their  "Air-Castle,"  could  see  heat-light- 
nings play  and  a  dark  hood  of  cloud  drawing  up 
from  the  west.  "  It's  going  to  storm  to-night." 

Well,  if  it  stormed  cats  and  dogs,  Jack  would  be 
as  snug  in  the  caboose  as  in  his  bed  at  home ! 

So  he  went  back  and  secured  his  windows  on  the 
west,  leaving  only  one  on  the  east  and  a  ventilator 


28 


The  Dogberry  B^lncn. 


ajar  for  air ;  and  the  rest  of  the  Bunch  went  in  and 
shut  up  their  house.  In  the  midnight  some  of  them 
were  awakened  by  blinding  light  and  by  the  groans 
of  trees,  and  spouts  of  rain  beating  as  if  to  wash 
their  little  dwelling  into  some  universal  ocean. 


CHAPTER  III. 

"O,  WHERE,  O,  WHERE — " 

WHEN  Benjamin  arose  in  the  morning  and 
made  the  fire  in  the  little  back  summer 
kitchen  to  heat  the  kettle  for  breakfast,  he  looked 
out  on  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  burnished  Sun- 
day mornings  this  world  has  ever  seen.  The  air  was 
clear  enough  to  make  fairy  spectacles  of ;  the  very 
grass  blades  were  strings  of  brilliants  of  the  first 
water;  the  roads  were  beaten  out  as  firm  and  clean  as 
granite. 

One  by  one  the  Dogberrys  appeared,  each  looking 

29 


30  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

as  live  and  burnished  as  if  just  out  of  a  storm-bath, 
also.  Excepting  Jack,  who  did  not  come.  The  table 
was  laid,  and  they  all  sat  down  on  their  chairs  in  a 
great  circle,  and  sang  one  of  Philip  Phillips'  songs 
about  the  "  Home  of  the  Soul,"  their  souls  fairly 
dancing  on  the  music  because  they  were  such  a  com- 
fortable Bunch.  Then  all  their  knees  plumped  down 
on  the  floor  at  once,  and  they  said  the  Lord's  Prayer 
as  one  man,  Rome  and  Remus  kneeling  opposite 
each  other  at  the  same  chair,  and  almost  knocking 
noses  with  fervor,  their  eyes  being  shut.  They  rose 
up  and  the  Treasurer  of  the  'Sociation,  according  to 
Sunday  morning  custom,  brought  pennies  from  the 
fund  and  laid  them  on  the  table  ready  for  Arthur,  or 
whoever  took  his  turn  that  day,  to  carry  to  Sunday- 
school. 

Still  Jack  did  not  come. 

u  I  b'lieve  he's  going  to  sleep  all  day,"  cried 
Rheem. 

"Maybe  something's  happened!"  cried  Rome, 
spreading  her  black  eye-lashes. 

"  Run  and  call  him,"  said  Alice. 

"And  tell  him  to  hurry,"  added  Loo,  the  house- 
keeper. "We  sha'n't  have  much  time  to  get  the 
work  clone  before  Sunday-school." 

You  may  picture  to  your  mind's  eye  this  Hunch 


"O,  Where,   O,  Where—"  31 

starting  to  Sunday-school  in  the  respectable  ways  they 
had  been  trained  to :  all  in  pairs,  or  threes,  or  a  group, 
all  jolly,  and  somewhat  proper  in  their  good  clothes, 
the  mothers  of  the  village  looking,  after  them  with 
pride,  and  the  fathers  nodding  smilingly. 

"  I  wonder  if  our  young  ones  would  get  along  as 
well,"  says  Mother  Thomas,  a  large,  generous  woman, 
to  her  husband,  a  wizened,  gray,  ailing  man,  "  if  we 
had  to  leave  'em  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,"  he  groans,  "if  they  had  my  health 
all  the  time,  they  couldn't  do  much." 

"  Good-morning,  little  Bunch,"  says  Mother  Darling, 
the  doctor's  wife,  a  smiling,  black-eyed  woman,  rust- 
ling past  them  with  her  last  baby  all  dressed  in  white. 
"  L  have  a  nice  big  mess  of  peas  for  your  dinner  if 
some  of  you  will  come  over  and  get  it  directly  after 
Sunday-school." 

"  Them  young  ones  does  beat  all !  "  says  big  John 
White,  whittling  a  fence-rail  and  talking  stock  with  a 
brother  stock-shipper,  but  never  failing  to  laugh  a 
sort  of  benediction  on  the  Bunch  as  they  go  by. 

In  this  way  the  neighbors  in  the  village  take  kindly 
notice  of  them.  But  to-day  different  ejaculations 
will  be  heard,  for  the  Dogberry  Bunch  is  broken  and 
a  Berry  has  dropped  out. 

Rome  and  Remus  came  running  from  their  errand 


32  TJu  Dogberry  Bunch. 

of  calling  Jack,  like  two  young  hens.  Now  Rheem 
fell  down  and  Rome  tumbled  over  him,  and  as  soon 
as  she  gained  her  feet,  her  twin  made  a  dash  and 
tumbled  over  her.  But  neither  of  them  heeded  these 
mishaps.  Sprawled  on  the  floor,  they  both  gasped 
out  to  the  astonished  family  : 

"  Jack's  gone!" 

"  Gone  where  ? "  in  chorus. 

"Don't  know  !  He  ain't  there  !  " 

"  Did  you  look  in  the  caboose  ?  " 

"  THE  CABOOSE  is  GONE  !  " 

All  Dogberry-dom  now  stood  up,  and  let  the  break- 
fast alone,  excepting  Arthur  who  was  in  his  high- 
chair,  and  who  required  a  good  reason  for  leaving  it. 

"  Why,  where  is  the  caboose  ?  "  asked  bewildered 
Ben. 

"  Maybe  the  lightnin'  struck  it !  "  "  Maybe  it's 
burnt  up  !  "  from  the  twins. 

"  It's  been  taken  off  somewhere  by  trains  in  the 
night !  "  exclaimed  convinced  Lucy.  "  I  just  told 
him  so !  " 

"  Where's  Jack  ? "  cried  Alice. 

That  was  the  question  —  where  was  Jack  ? 

'•  Just  as  like  as  not  they've  poured  a  whole  lot  of 
grain  —  or  hogs  —  in  on  him  and  smothered  him  !  " 
said  Rome  beginning  to  brim  with  tears. 


"O,  Where,   O,  Where,  —  " 


33 


"  Especially    the   hogs,"    observed    Ben,    "  which 
would  certainly  smother  if  poured  very  fast !  " 
"  I  don't  think  it's  funny  a  bit ! "  cried  Rome. 
"  I  don't  either.     But  they  don't  load  cabooses. 


JACK  's   GONE  ! 

And  I  don't  see  how  Jack  could  sleep  while  the  cars 
were  jarring.  Pshaw!  maybe  it  isn't  gone  at  all !  It 
blew  like  anything  last  night.  The  caboose  may  have 
rolled  farther  down  the  track." 

They  all  ran  to  see.     Up  and  down  the  rails  with 


34  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

their  hands  shielding  their  eyes  from  the  morning 
sun,  they  looked  and  scampered.  Some  disabled  old 
coal-flats  and  one  box  car  lay  on  the  switch.  These, 
and  nothing  more. 

Ben  ran  to  Mr.  Joyce,  the  station-master,  and  the 
rest  of  the  Bunch,  not  knowing  what  else  to  do,  ran 
after  him.  Mr.  Joyce  had  been  kept  up  late,  and 
their  loud  raps  at  his  door  lasted  some  time  before 
he  appeared.  He  was  a  pleasant-faced  man  and 
laughed  when  he  saw  how  he  was  besieged. 

"Why,  what's  the  matter?" 

"  Where's  Jack,  Mr.  Joyce  ?  " 

"  Home,  isn't  he  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.  He  slept  in  that  caboose  he  fixed  up  for 
his  house,  last  night  — " 

"And  it's  gone!  "  howled  Maude. 

Arthur  by  this  time  began  to  understand  the  ca- 
lamity which  had  befallen  his  house,  and  having 
missed  his  favorite  all  the  morning,  now  puckered  up 
his  face  and  set  up  a  yell  which  brought  the  whole 
street  to  the  doors. 

Mr.  Joyce  seized  his  station  key  and  hurried  to  the 
little  freight-house  and  depot.  He  searched  every- 
where and  looked  puzzled.  He  looked  up  and  down 
the  track,  but  the  red  caboose  was  gone. 

"  Well,   upon  my  word  ! "    he  exclaimed,    while  a 


"O  Where,   O,  Where—"  35 

more  doleful  note  came  from  the  depressed  Bunch. 

"  Hush,  Arty  I  "  soothed  Alice,  "  Jacky  isn't  hurt." 

"  Why,  no,"  cried  Joyce,  "  but  I  don't  see  how  it 
happened !  There  was  a  fearful  storm  when  that  last 
freight  was  making  up.  They  had  a  lot  of  empty 
box  cars  to  take  up  here.  The  caboose  must  have 
got  run  in  among  them.  It  was  a  through  freight  for 
Cincinnati.  I'll  inquire  along  the  road." 

He  went  to  the  instrument,  and  while  it  clicked  the 
disconsolate  Dogberry  Bunch  hearkened  and  thought 
of  their  absent  Berry. 

"  You  better  go  home,  and  don't  be  frightened," 
said  Mr.  Joyce.  "  It'll  be  sometime  before  I  get  an 
answer.  I'll  let  you  know  where  he  is  as  soon  as  I 
find  out,  and  I'll  have  them  search  Number  5.  If 
it  made  a  good  run,  it'll  be  in  Cincinnati  this  after- 
noon. Don't  you  be  scared,  Jack  can  take  care  of 
himself.  I'll  send  a  message  to  the  depot-master  of 
the  C.  H.  &  D.  road,  and  he'll  look  after  Jack  when 
he  gets  there." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Joyce,"  said  Sweet  Alice  sol- 
emnly, turning  the  head  of  the  party  homeward,  and 
leading  Arthur  by  the  hand. 

"  Where's  Jack  ?  "  cried  the  poor  little  fellow  con- 
tinually. "  I  want  him.  I  want  my  Jack  !  " 

And  everybody  failing  to  produce  his  favorite,  he 


36  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

sat  down  on  the  road  and  beat  the  rails  with  all  the 
might  of  his  little  heels,  the  angry  blood  flushing 
even  his  head  till  it  glowed  like  a  turkey's  through  his 
hair. 

**  Get  up,  Arty,"  begged  Loo,  tremulously.  "Brother 
will  come  back  pretty  soon." 

"  I  want  him  now  !  "  howled  the  baby. 

"Let's  go  and  hunt  Jacky,"  volunteered  Maude. 

"  Where  ? "  yielded  the  youngster,  allowing  him- 
self to  be  stood  up,  and  his  petticoats  to  be  brushed. 
"  Will  we  go  on  train  ?  where's  big  engine  ?  where  we 
hunt  Jack,  Romey  ?" 

'•  O,  pshaw  !  Jack's  all  right,"  said  Ben  easily,  as 
they  trooped  under  the  trees  and  re-entered  their 
dwelling. 

And  beginning  to  see  the  whole  affair  in  the  light 
of  a  joke,  the  family  at  this  point  broke  out  laughing, 
and  sat  down  gaily  to  breakfast ;  still,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  little  brother  in  skirts,  who  asked  at  in- 
tervals, "  Where  Jacky  gone  ?  where  him  gone  ? " 

"Gone  off  with  Deedle  and  Sipsey,"  replied 
Rheem,  bantering  the  baby,  "gone  to  Hiddley-Gid- 
clle." 

"  What's  this  ?  "  cried  Mother  Darling,  the  doctor's 
wife,  running  in  with  the  baby  half-dressed,  its  dim- 
ples huddled  in  a  shawl ;  "  they  say  Jack  got  carried 
off  by  a  freight  train  last  night.  Is  it  so  ?  " 


«O,  Where,   O,  Where  —  " 


37 


"Yes'm,"   replied  the   Bunch,  laughing;    and    Ben 
rose  to  place  a  chair  foi  the  little  mother. 

"  What's  happened  to  you  young  ones  ?"  exclaimed 


brawny  Mother  Thomas,   sailing  in  with   her  portly 


air. 


The  story  was  told  over  again,  and  the  mothers  also 


38  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

reassured  them  as  Mr.  Joyce  had  done.  They  held 
quite  a  levee,  their  neighbors  ran  in  and  out  so,  until 
the  small  bell  of  the  small  white  church  rang  for  Sab- 
bath-school. Mr.  Joyce  sent  a  message  that  he  could 
find  out  nothing  certain  about  Jack,  but  everything 
was  certainly  going  well  with  Number  5,  or  he  would 
hear  it  over  the  wires. 

The  Bunch  was  broken  for  the  day.  They  went 
straggling. 

"  Where's  Arthur  ? "  inquired  Alice,  shaking  out 
her  parasol  as  she  and  Loo  started. 

"  Gone  with  Rome  and  Rheem,  I  think." 

Rome  and  Rheem  were  walking  primly  along  talk- 
ing of  the  great  event  which  had  disturbed  the  nine- 
teenth century  that  day.  Maude's  finery  consisted 
principally  of  a  lilac  silk  mantilla  which  had  belonged 
to  her  mother.  Her  eyes  expanded  like  two  head- 
lights over  her  Sunday  gear,  when  the  question  of 
Arthur's  whereabouts  was  put. 

"  Why,  didn't  Mrs.  Darling  take  him  when  she 
came  along  with  the  baby?  Oh,  maybe  he's  lost 
too !  " 

The  idea !  But  he  was  not  in  the  little  white- 
washed church,  where  the  village  children  were  sing- 
ing joyfully  through  their  noses.  Mother  Darling, 
when  whispered  to,  did  not  know  anything  about 
him.  Ben,  being  summoned  from  the  "Youth's 


"O,   Where,   O,  Where—"  39 

Bible  Class,"  ran  to  every  house  in  search  of  him. 

Then  the  town  was  roused. 

It  was  funny  for  a  live,  big  boy  like  Jack  to  be  car- 
ried off  in  the  night :  people  could  grin  at  such  a 
mishap ;  but  when  the  three-year-old  of  the  town's 
prize  orphans  disappeared  as  suddenly  as  if  dropped 
in  a  pit,  the  Bunch's  bereavement  looked  startling. 
Several  fathers  went  to  work  dragging  their  cis- 
terns :  a  group  went  to  examine  Sugar  Creek. 

There  was  at  one  end  of  the  street  which  formed 
Old  Town  a  tottering  shell  which  once  served  as  a 
tavern ;  but  being  forsaken  by  every  respectable 
creature  in  the  place,  was  now  the  haunt  of  all  sorts 
of  wretches.  More  than  a  dozen  families  crowded 
it.  It  was  fit  to  compare  with  city  tenements ;  and 
this  swarming  den  was  known  as  the  "Beehive." 
Tramps  passing  through  the  town,  made  this  their 
stopping-place.  A  stoop  composed  of  rotting  boards 
was  in  front  of  it,  and  a  different  colored  rag  ap- 
peared at  every  window,  from  which  nearly  all  sash 
and  glass  were  broken. 

John  White  hurried  to  the  "  Beehive  "  to  ask  them 
about  little  Arthur.  The  Bees,  although  their  neigh- 
bors took  so  little  interest  in  them,  felt  a  lazy  interest 
in  their  neighbors,  and  were  generally  peeping  out  of 
the  Beehive  or  buzzing  on  the  stoop,  to  see  what 


40  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

might  be  going  on  in  the  town.  To-day  being  Sun- 
day and  no  trains  running,  they  were  out  in  strong 
force,  smoking,  and  blinking  their  cadaverous  eyes  — 
gaunt,  nerveless-looking  men,  dirty  and  only  half 
alive.  Women's  voices,  scolding,  made  the  inside  of 
the  "  Beehive "  ring.  Some  playful  young  Bees 
played  marbles  and  pulled  hair  at  one  end  of  the 
stoop. 

"  How  d'ye  do,"  said  easy  John  White  to  the  men 
who  pulled  out  their  pipes  and  listened  with  calm  pat- 
ronage to  their  wealthier  neighbor.  "  Have  you  seen 
anything  of  a  little  fellow  around  here  ?  The  Dog- 
berry children  have  lost  their  baby  —  about  faree 
years  old  —  chap  in  petticoats." 

"When  —  did  —  they  —  lose  —  him  ?  "  inquired 
one  of  the  Bees  with  a  slow  drawl :  they  were  above 
excitement. 

"  Missed  him  a  couple  of  hours  or  so  ago,  but 
don't  remember  seeing  him  since  breakfast.  One  of 
them  dressed  him  for  Sunday-school  before  break- 
fast; and  then  one  of  the  .boys  got  run  off  on  a 
freight,  and  it  excited  them  so  they  forgot  about  the 
little  fellow." 

The  Bees  pulled  their  pipes  silently,  as  if  they  had 
all  found  first-rate  honey-tubes. 

"  He  had  on  a  little  linen  dress,"  continued  John ; 


"O,  Where,  O,  Where—"  41 

1  thinnish  child  ;  blue  eyes,  light :  I  expect  you  know 
him.  I'm  afraid  he's  found  the  creek!  You  haven't 
seen  anything  of  him  ?  " 

"Saw  —  a  —  little  —  young  one,"  volunteered  one 
deliberate  drone,  "  go  —  past  —  with  —  a  — woman  — 
's  morning.  Didn't  —  stop  —  here." 

"  / —  saw  —  him,"  added  another  Bee.     "  Thought 

—  she  —  was  —  playin' —  with  him.      Movers  — over 

—  in  —  the  —  woods  —  last  —  night." 

"Light  child  —  linen  dress?"  asked  John  White. 

"  Ye  —  es,"  drawled  the  Bee. 

"  The  Dogberry  baby,  do  you  think  ?  " 

I  —  thought  —  it —  was  —  him." 

John  White  made  haste  to  carry  this  news,  and 
several  men  got  upon  horses  and  galloped  in  the  di- 
rection the  movers'  caravan  was  said  to  have  taken. 
As  he  supposed,  the  strollers  were  only  agueish  In- 
dianians  trailing  away  to  some  point  farther  west. 
Their  wagon  was  covered  with  canvass  stretched  on 
hoops,  and  drawn  by  horses  paired  like  David  and 
Goliah,  fearfully  thin,  and  Goliah  wheezing  as  if  every 
breath  must  be  his  last.  Inside  the  wagon  cowered 
the  usual  hollow-cheeked  settler,  his  care-worn  wife 
and  fifteen  children,  in  various  stages  of  chills-and- 
fever.  It  was  too  great  a  satire  to  suppose  such  a 
man  had  picked  up  the  missing  boy,  but  the  men  in- 


42  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

quired  if  he  had  seen  a  stray  child.  The  settler  had 
not  seen  any  stray  child.  His  wife,  kind  soul,  was 
full  of  sympathy  when  she  heard  a  child  was  lost, 
and  counted  her  fifteen  over  with  a  more  thankful 
heart. 

They  hunted  New  Town  and  Old  Town,  they 
dragged  the  creek  above  and  below  the  dam,  they 
searched  the  woods  :  the  long  summer  afternoon  wore 
away  and  night  came,  and  still  little  Arthur  Dogberry 
was  not  found. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  RAILROAD  MUTINY. 

WHEN  Jack  awoke  in  the  caboose,  he  was  aston- 
ished by  a  roaring  and  rumbling  and  also  by 
the  motion  which  shook  him  to  and  fro.  He  had  heard 
the  storm  in  the  night,  but  this  was  not  the  sound  of 
a  storm.  His  bristling  hair  fairly  stood  on  end  as  he 
recognized  the  grinding  whirr  of  wheels.  Opening  a 
shutter,  he  poked  his  head  into  the  dark  and  dodged 
back  just  in  time  to  avoid  the  scaffolding  of  a  bridge 
they  were  passing. 

43 


44  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"Yes,  sir!"  said  Jack,  sitting  down  to  his  convic- 
tions, "  this  caboose  has  started  on  its  travels,  and  has 
invited  Mr.  J.  Dogberry  to  go  along.  Thank  you, 
ma'am.  My  health  was  needing  a  little  trip.  I  bet 
they'll  laugh  at  home  !  Loo'll  never  forget  it !  She'll 
keep  it  to  pay  me  back  for  the  Cardiff  giantess  with  ! 
She  said  I'd  get  run  off.  I  wonder  what  Arty'll  do  ? 
Which  way  is  this  train  going  ?  " 

He  opened  the  door  at  one  end,  and  saw  a  blank 
wall  of  freight  running  in  front  of  him  ;  he  opened 
the  door  at  the  other  end  and  made  out  a  similar 
sight.  The  landscape  was  lightening :  he  could  make 
out  trees  and  high  gravelled  banks. 

Jack  shut  the  door,  and  sitting  down  by  an  open 
shutter,  enjoyed  his  trip.  The  explanation  which  Mr. 
Joyce  had  given  the  children  occurred  to  him  :  his 
caboose  was  taken  up  among  empty  freight  cars : 
these  would  be  thrown  off  on  some  switch  or  other 
track,  and  he  must  watch  his  chances  for  a  return 
journey.  He  heartily  enjoyed  his  adventure. 

Toward  morning  the  rattling  train  ran  into  a  sad, 
bedraggled  town.  The  storm  was  left  far  behind, 
and  it  is  probable  that  Jack  the  Nimble  would  have 
climbed  to  the  tops  of  the  freights  long  before  and 
made  acquaintance  with  every  man  having  them  in 
charge,  if  the  novelty  of  his  position  had  not  kept 
him  still. 


Hie  Railroad  Mutiny. 


45 


There  seemed  to  be  a  lock  in  the  progress  of  the 
train.  Jack  saw  the  the  name  "  Pontiac  "  in  large 
black  letters  over  the  depot  door.  Several  other 
trains  were  massed  on  switches  and  tracks  leading 
to  different  points  of  the  compass.  Pontiac,  dark 


JACK. 

and  draggled  as  it  appeared,  was  something  of  a  rail- 
road centre.  The  train  stood  still,  but  nothing  was 
loading,  nothing  cast  off. 

It  was  now  nearly  Sunday  morning.    "  Perhaps  this 
is  the  end  of  the  trip,"  said  Jack,  "  but  I  thought  our 


46  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

Number  5  was  a  through  freight  for  Cincinnati." 

He  stepped  down  into  the  coal  dust  and  wandered 
along  the  train.  It  was  now  that  very  dark  hour  just 
before  day-dawn  :  a  knot  of  men  with  a  lantern  were 
muttering  near  the  engine.  One,  grimed  but  com- 
manding, was  certainly  the  engineer;  the  others 
brakemen  of  this  and  other  trains  massed  at  Pontiac. 
They  were  complaining  bitterly  of  measures  taken 
by  the  Company  who  owned  the  road.  As  Jack  heard 
them  he  felt  they  were  half  in  the  right :  their  money 
was  overdue  ;  they  were  threatened  with  a  reduction 
of  pay,  and  they  would  strike !  So  far  so  good. 
Young  Dogberry  silently  endorsed  all  he  heard.  He 
thought  right  was  right,  whether  on  his  side  or  on  the 
side  of  the  man  who  employed  him.  If  a  man  would 
not  pay  for  service  he  ought  to  suffer  inconvenience 
and  loss  by  having  the  service  taken  from  him  with- 
out warning.  But  pretty  soon  some  more  men  came 
up,  of  the  very  worst  sort.  Whether  they  were  rail- 
road employes  or  vagrants,  Jack  could  not  make 
out.  They  talked  as  if  they  owned  the  roads  and 
were  masters  of  the  roads'  interests,  but  Jack  con- 
sidered himself  a  railroad  employe',  and  he  would 
not  have  classed  himself  with  these  men.  They  had 
a  lot  of  oil  and  matches,  and  mentioned  "  firing  "  and 
"  breaking,"  and  excited  the  others,  excepting  one 
who  went  and  sat  down  on  the  side  of  a  platform. 


The  Railroad  Mutiny.  47 

Jack  followed  him. 

"  What  they  going  to  do  ?  "  he  asked. 

The  brakeman  replied  rather  indifferently  that  he 
didn't  know  :  raise  the  old  Satan  likely. 

"  But  this  freight  that  came  down  from  Chicago  — 
oughtn't  it  to  go  on  ?  " 

The  brakeman  laughed,  and  said  it  ought  to  throw 
off  half  the  empty  boxes  and  take  on  four  or  five 
cars  of  cattle  to  run  into  Cincinnati:  "but  the  engi- 
neer is  drunk,"  he  added,  "  and  they're  all  on  a 
strike,  him  at  the  head  of  them.  I  don't  know  how 
it'll  end.  I  don't  intend  to  have  nothing  to  do  with 
it  if  I  can  help  it,  but  if  I'm  forced  in  I'll  have  to  do 
as  the  others  do.  All  that  I'm  afraid  of  is  that  they 
are  going  to  make  mischief,  and  destroy  property. 
The  Road  hasn't  treated  us  fair.  Still,  burning  stock 
is  dirty  business." 

"  No,  I  don't  like  that,  myself,"  said  Jack  maturely, 
"  and  1  think  this  train  ought  to  be  got  through.  It's 
pretty  near  Sunday  morning.  We've  been  here  over 
an  hour." 

"  What  train  do  you  belong  to  ? "  inquired  the 
brakeman. 

Jack  explained  his  presence,  and  then  added  "  as 
all  the  rest  are  deserting,  don't  you  think  we  could 
get  it  through  ourselves  ? " 

The  train-hand  laughed. 


ys  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

4<  Well,"  exclaimed  the  boy,  "  I  know  all  about  an 
engine.  The  engineers  on  our  road  have  taken  me 
up  and  down.  I  ain't  in  the  railroad  business  for 
nothing,  I  tell  ye !  Don't  you  suppose  I've  picked  up 
everything?  " 

At  this  moment  a  yell  was  raised  by  some  of  the 
men  in  mutiny. 

"  I  wish  I  was  home  in  the  city,"  said  the  brake- 
man  discontentedly. 

"  You  just  wait  a  bit !  "  cried  Jack,  dashing  into 
the  telegraph  office.  Here  a  sleepy  young  man,  dis- 
turbed and  inefficient,  had  just  finished  sending  over 
the  wires  to  headquarters  an  account  of  the  disturb- 
ances pending. 

Jack  seized  a  telegraph  blank  and  hastened  to 
write : 

"  Engineer  and  all  but  one  man  of  through  freight 
Number  5,  have  struck  :  going  to  be  a  fuss.  I  can 
bring  it  through  all  right,  with  orders. 

J.  DOGBERRY." 

"  Who  sends  this  message  ? "  inquired  the  operator, 
eyeing  the  young  man. 
"  Dogberry,  sir." 
In  the  midst  of  the  impending  riot  which  Pontiac's 


The  Railroad  Mutiny.  49 

small  muster  of  police  could  never  quell,  the  operator 
did  not  inquire  minutely  about  Dogberry,  but  secretly 
commending  him  for  keeping  out  of  sight,  sent  his 
message.  Before  the  last  click,  a  frowsy  man  rushed 
in. 

"  It's  all  up,"  he  exclaimed,  "we  can't  get  out  of 
here  unless  the  Company  sends  me  another  engineer, 
and  there'll  be  worse  mischief  yet  before  one  can 
come  !  Got  my  orders  ?  " 

"  Have  'em  in  a  few  minutes,"  replied  the  opera- 
tor. "  Man  here  offered  to  take  your  train  through." 

From  this  conversation  Jack  understood  that  the 
man  was  the  conductor  of  Number  5,  and  he  waited 
as  breathlessly  as  the  conductor  for  orders.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  answer  came.  The  conductor  was  or- 
dered to  put  Engineer  Dogberry  in  the  cab  and  to 
proceed  at  once.  Dogberry's  orders  were  minute. 
The  conductor  seized  them. 

"  There's  his  fireman  over  there,"  said  the  operator 
pointing  to  Jack. 

The  conductor  thrust  the  orders  into  his  hand.  , 

"  There's  one  brakeman  I  can  rely  on,"  he  ex- 
claimed, "  he  and  I  will  attend  to  the  coupling.  In 
ten  minutes  we  want  to  pick  up  these  cattle  cars  and 
be  out  of  here  !  " 

He  ran  in  one  direction,  Jack  in  the  other.     The 


50  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

boy  leaped  into  the  cab,  piled  fuel  in  his  furnace,  and 
made  a  quick  examination  of  his  locomotive.  The 
orders  were  very  brief  and  plain ;  he  had  them  by 
heart  in  a  moment. 

A  few  faint  streaks  began  to  appear  in  the  east, 
and  a  general  light  diffused  itself.  Jack  ran  his  en- 
gine and  the  cars  attached,  forward,  and  at  a  signal 
backed  upon  a  switch  and  took  up  the  waiting  stock. 
These  movements  were  so  sudden  and  unexpected, 
that  he  was  really  under  way  before  the  groups  of 
rough  men  saw  that  a  train  was  moving  out.  Some 
of  them  were  talking  of  heaping  the  freights  and  set- 
ting them  on  fire.  The  engineer  who  forsook  Num- 
ber 5,  came  leaping  along  beside  the  train,  flushed 
with  anger  and  drink.  He  caught  sight  of  the  little 
fellow  in  his  engine  cab  and  yelled  at  him.  He 
looked  so  furious  and  all  the  running  men  looked  so 
furious  that  J.  Dogberry  was  roused  through  every 
molecule  of  his  blood.  These  men  might  try  to  throw 
things  under  the  wheels  and  so  ditch  the  train  :  a 
shot  was  fired,  the  ball  splintering  a  panel  of  the  cab  ; 
I  only  do  Jack  justice  when  I  say  he  hardly  thought 
of  the  ball  —  his  mind  was  taken  up  with  the  results 
of  a  disaster  if  disaster  there  should  be.  He  put  on 
a  full  head  of  steam,  and  the  empty  freights  and  cat- 
tle cars  sailed  away  !  He  was  now  accountable  for 


The  Railroad  Mutiny.  51 

the  train  —  he  a  mere  boy  !  —  when  the  Company 
probably  thought  they  were  entrusting  it  to  a  man 
and  a  licensed  locomotive  engineer.  The  thing  he 
had  undertaken  with  the  best  but  unconsidered  im- 
pulses, now  looked  very  startling.  Still,  Jack  knew 
what  he  was  about,  and  his  iron  horse  in  a  twinkling 
was  out  of  Pontiac  and  sailing  along  over  the  open 
country.  The  Road  was  certainly  a  mismanaged 
one,  but  at  that  time  discontent  among  the  em- 
ploye's was  not  general.  There  were  no  other 
strikes  on  the  line,  and  safe  out  of  Pontiac,  the  men 
having  the  train  in  charge  anticipated  no  other 
trouble  than  stoppages  caused  by  their  delay. 

Morning  advanced.  Jack  stood  up  to  his  business, 
his  determined  eye  watching  the  road  ahead,  his  hand 
testing  the  steam  gauge,  or  with  the  whistle  warning 
distant  stray  animals  off  the  track.  Through  forest 
and  across  highways,  as  the  day  grew  brighter  around 
him,  over  river  bridges,  and  along  green  corn-fields, 
he  roared  on  and  on ! 

Everything  going  smoothly,  the  conductor  left  the 
rear,  ran  along  the  tops  of  the  cars,  leaping  gaps  be- 
tween them,  dropped  into  the  tender  and  entered  the 
engine-cab. 

He  looked  all  around,  holding  back  the  congratula- 
tory speech  ready  on  his  15ps. 


S2 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


"  Hullo,  fireman,  where's  Dogberry  ? " 

"  Here,  sir." 

"  The  engineer,  I  mean.  Man  that  run  us  out  of 
Pontiac  ?  " 

"  r-m  the  man"  says  Jack,  examining  the  steam 
gauge  again.  Upon  which  the  conductor  sat  down. 

"  You  little  rat !  "  said  he  at  last.  *  If  you  hadn't 
been  so  plucky  I'd  pitch  you  and  your  cheek  off  the 
train !  " 


*r 


CHAPTER  V. 

"ONE  BY   ONE    BEYOND    RECALL." Song. 


AW  me !  what  has  become 
of  the  child  !  "  whispered 
Mother  Dr.  Darling  in  an 
awe-struck  voice,  as  she 
tossed  her  own  white  clean 
baby  among  the  panic- 
filled  Dogberrys  who  were 
left.  She  and  Mrs. 
Thomas  and  a  few  other 
neighbors  were  talking 
apart.  Ben  and  Sweet 
Alice  sat  by  the  table  j 
she  with  her  head  down, 
he  looking  dazed  and  pale. 
Loo  stood  by  the  window 
53 


54  The  Dogberry  Bunch, 

shaking  with  sobs,  while  Rome  and  Remus  were 
making  the  air  melodious  in  a  similar  manner,  in  the 
kitchen. 

It  was  Monday  evening,  and  the  townspeople  had 
given  Arty  up.  They  agreed  that  he  had  been  carried 
away.  The  old  Bee  of  the  "  Beehive,"  who  claimed 
to  have  seen  the  child  with  a  woman,  when  closely 
questioned  was  not  sure  of  anything.  It  was  all  a 
paralyzing  mystery.  Joyce  kindly  telegraphed  both 
ends  of  the  road  inquiring  for  a  stray  child.  They 
could  not  find  him  in  Sugar  Creek  or  the  mill  pond. 
At  thought  of  the  little  fellow  down  in  the  slime  or 
gravel,  his  rigid  hands  clinched  on  dead  leaves,  the 
elder  Dogberrys  were  frantic.  It  was  also  maddening 
to  think  he  might  be  in  the  hands  of  some  evil- 
minded  person  who  abused  him — he  might  be  hungry 
or  sick. 

"  Is  Ben,  or  is  Miss  Alice  in  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Joyce, 
stepping  upon  the  door-stone. 

Ben  and  Alice  were  both  at  the  door,  and  under 
their  elbows  pressed  the  twins,  while  Mothers  Thomas 
and  Darling  pressed  at  their  backs. 

"  Have  you  heard  anything  ?  "  inquired  Alice,  wip- 
ing her  eyes.  It  was  poor  little  Arty's  funeral  with- 
out his  body  left  as  a  visible  sign  of  consolation. 

"  I've  got  a  telegram  from   Danport,"  said  Joyce. 


"  One  by  One  Beyond  Recall."  55 

"  There  was  a  child  picked  up  there  to-day  —  hurt  on 
the  streets." 

Rome  and  Remus  uttered  a  mournful  howl ;  they 
had  no  doubt  the  hurt  child  was  Arthur. 

"  Name  not  known,"  continued  Joyce  ;  "  the  child 
was  run  over  and  unconscious.  Taken  to  the  house 
of  a  lady  named  Greenoff." 

"  Aunt  Greenoff !  "  exclaimed  the  five  Dogberrys 
in  awe. 

Alice  turned  to  Ben. 

"  We'd  better  go  and  see  if  it's  Arty,"  said  Ben. 

"  Of  course  !  "  cried  Mother  Darling  eagerly,"  take 
our  buggy  :  the  Doctor  is  riding  horse-back  now." 

"And  put  our  sorrel  into  it,"  added  Mother 
Thomas  ;  "  he's  a  good  traveler.  Thomas  isn't  using 
him  for  anything." 

Now  Danport  was  an  old  rich  town,  lying  only 
twelve  miles  distant ;  its  railroad  connection  with  the 
new  village,  however,  was  roundabout  and  included 
several  delays  and  changes  of  cars.  People  seldom 
thought  of  going  to  Danport,  therefore,  otherwise 
than  by  their  own  conveyances. 

"  Yes,  and  just  you  get  ready  right  away,"  added 
one  of  the  neighbors,  "  and  we'll  get  some  supper  for 
you." 

The  neighborly  hands  made  themselves  busy,  some 
preparing  the  meal,  others  putting  Alice  'into  her  best 


56  The  Dogberry  Bunth. 

dress,  her  black  alpaca  and  making  up  a  bundle  of 
such  things  as  the  young  Heads  of  the  house  might 
need.  It  was  now  her  vacation,  so  she  could  leave 
the  school.  Presently  Ben  drove  up  the  Doctor's 
buggy  and  Thomas'  stiff,  old  sorrel.  Then  he  hurried 
into  his  Sunday  suit,  and  the  shattered  family  sat 
down  to  a  quick  meal,  Mother  Darling  and  Mother 
Thomas  waiting  on  them  as  if  they  were  so  many 
babies,  and  these  good  women  were  particularly  fond 
of  babies. 

"  We'll  be  back  as  quick  as  we  can,"  said  Alice  to 
the  three  Berries  left.  "  Rheemie  and  Maud,  you 
mind  Loo,  and  all  take  care  of  yourselves." 

Just  as  Ben  gathered  the  lines  off  old  sorrel's  back, 
and  began  to  drive  off,  John  White  came  running, 
waving  his  hand  to  stop  them.  He  drew  out  a  very 
large  pocket-book  before  reaching  the  buggy. 

"  Going  to  Danport  to  see  if  Arty's  there,  eh  ?  Ben, 
you'll  need  some  money.  How  much  have  you  ?  " 

Ben  colored.  He  didn't  know,  but  guessed  he  had 
about  a  dollar  and  a  half  in  his  purse. 

"  Pshaw  !  that  won't  pay  a  livery  bill,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  other  expenses  you  may  have.  I  want  to  loan 
you  ten  dollars.  Take  both  bills  :  if  you  don't  need 
'em  you  can  bring  'em  back,  you  know.  That's  all. 
I  won't  stop  you  any  longer." 

"  How  good  everybodv  is  !  "  said  Allie,  leaning  back 


"  One  by  One  Beyond  Recall"  57 

on  the  stuffed  cushions  of  Dr.  Darling's  old  carriage, 
as  if  it  was  the  full  heart  of  humanity  beating  under 
her;  "we  hadn't  time  to  draw  my  money,  and  I 
didn't  even  think  of  it.'*' 

The  mothers  of  the  town  withdrew  to  their  own 
homes,  and  Lucy  and  the  twins  sat  down  on  the  front 
stoop,  forlorn  and  watching. 

"  I  wonder  if  'twas  Arty  ?  "  questioned  Rheem. 

"  He's  hurt  awful  bad  !  "  snuffed  Maude. 

"  I  don't  believe  ''twas  Arty.  Aunt  Greenoff,"  said 
the  boy,  handling  his  strange  relative's  name  with 
great  respect,  "  would  send  us  word." 

"  She  wouldn't  know  Arty,"  said  Loo  sadly.  "  She 
never  saw  him  in  her  life.  She  doesn't  know  much 
about  any  of  us." 

"  What  makes  her  our  aunt  ?  "  propounded  Rome. 

"  She  isn't.  She's  a  cousin,  or  something,  of  moth- 
er's. We've  always  been  poor  and  her  folks  were 
always  rich.  That's  why  she  never  came  to  see  us," 
explained  Lucy  simply,  and  without  the  least  bitter- 
ness. 

Next  morning  while  the  three  children  sat  at 
breakfast,  Mr.  Joyce  stepped  up  on  the  stoop  with 
more  telegraphic  news. 

He  looked  puzzled. 

"  There's  a  child  exactly  answering  Arty's  descrip 


58  The  Dogberry  Bunck. 

tion,"  said  he,  "  up  in  Carver  City.  A  tramping 
woman  brought  him  in." 

"  What'll  we  do  ?  "  cried  Loo.  "Ben  and  Alice  are 
gone  to  Danport." 

"Let  me  go  to  Carver  City,"  said  Remus. 

"And  me,"  added  Rome. 

"  Lucy  had  better  go,"  suggested  Mr.  Joyce,  "  and 
you  two  little  fellows  keep  house.  There's  the  half- 
past  eight  passenger  coming.  I  can  put  you  on  that 
and  you'll  get  back  on  the  four  o'clock  accommoda- 
tion. They  stop  here  half  an  hour  for  breakfast." 

In  half  an  hour,  therefore,  Lucy,  the  house-mother, 
forsook  her  charge  and  set  out  in  search  of  that 
other  charge.  The  Dogberrys  had  been  steadily 
decreasing  like  John  Brown's  little  Indians,  and  now 
the  twins  sat  by  themselves,  too  anxious  to  play 
heartily,  in  a  sort  of  Sabbath  day  of  expectancy. 
Rome  got  some  dinner  of  bread  and  butter,  berries 
and  cold  beef,  which  Remus  solemnly  helped  her 
despatch.  And  shortly  after  a  very  little  fellow  from 
the  "  Beehive  "  peeped  around  the  door-post. 

"  Say !  "  saluted  the  urchin. 

"  Hullo,  Jacey  !  Come  in,"  said  the  host. 

"  No,  I  don't  want  to.     Come  out  here." 

What  is  that  free-masonry  among  boys  which  refuses 
roofing?  Your  brother's  chum  comes  and  whistles 


"  One  by  One  Beyond  Recall"  59 

for  him,  and,  obedient  as  a  dog,  he  springs  from  his 
place  and  runs  out  to  answer  the  whistle.  If  Julia 
or  Dora  should  stand  on  the  pavement  and  whistle  for 
you,  how  you  would  resent  the  girl's  breeding  and  im- 
pertinence !  "  Does  she  think  I'm  going  to  run  to  her  ? 
Indeed  !  let  her  ring  the  bell,  or  come  in  at  the  side 
door ! "  Brother  Tom,  however,  will  gallop  half  a 
square  to  encounter  his  signal-giver.  And  although 
Rheem  was  not  intimate  with  Jacey  Dixon  from  the 


JACEV   DIXON   AND    THli    TWINS. 

"  Beehive,"  that  request  to  see  him  out  of  doors 
struck  home  at  once,  aud  he  went  out  to  consult 
Jacey. 

"  You  found  yer  little  brother  ?  "  asked  Jacey,  by 
way  of  introducing  the  subject,  and  wiping  his  nose 
the  whole  length  of  his  arm  as  he  spoke. 

"  No.  Ben  and  Alice  have  gone  to  Danport  and 
Loo's  gone  to  Carver  City — " 

"  Well,  he  ain't  neither  place.  I  bet  I  know  just 
where  he  is !  " 


6o 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


"  I  bet  you  don't ! "  cried  Remus,  becoming  ex- 
cited. 

Maude  came  to  the  door  and  joined  in  the  consul- 
tation. And  the  result  was  that  the  little  house  was 
left  alone,  without  one  Dogberry  in  it,  standing  silent 
and  lonesome  in  the  pleasant  summer  afternoon.  A 
barren  stem  —  the  Berries  all  rolling  away. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


LOO    GETS   OUT   OF    AND    BEN   AND   ALICE   GET   INTO 
SOCIETY. 

HEN  Mr.  Joyce  put 
Loo  upon  the  train 
for  Carver  City  he 
had  in  his  hand  a 
message  from 
Jack,  but  the  new 
interest  concern- 
ing Arthur  put  it 
out  of  his  mind  so 
he  forgot  even  to 
mention  it  to  her. 
The  message  said : 

"  MR.  JOYCE  :  I 
got  carried  off  in 
the  caboose.  Am  in  Cincinnati.  Tell  our  children 
am  coining  back  just  as  soon  as  possible. 

"JACK  DOGBERRY." 
61 


62  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

Loo  had  in  her  pocket  the  money  she  made  selling 
strawberries  and  which  she  had  been  saving  for  a 
new  dress.  But  when  the  train  started  and  the  con- 
ductor came  to  her  and  spoke  about  her  little  lost 
brother,  and  she  produced  her  worn  portmonnaie,  he 
said  it  u  was  all  right."  Joyce  was  sending  her  up 
on  his  pass ;  and  he,  the  conductor,  would  speak  to 
the  conductor  of  the  return  train  about  her.  Loo 
thanked  him  and  sat  still,  feeling  awed  by  the  unac- 
customed rush  at  which  she  was  going,  and  fixing  in 
her  mind  the  course  Mr.  Joyce  told  her  to  take  when 
she  reached  Carver  City.  She  was  to  inquire  of  the 
station-master  the  way  to  the  Dubbs  House,  and  at 
the  Dubbs  House  for  a  little  boy  about  three  years 
old,  taken  by  the  authorities  from  a  tramping  woman 
to  be  held  until  called  for  by  his  friends. 

The  smoky  houses,  dirty  suburbs  and  pert  city  af- 
fectation of  the  town  of  Carver  soon  appeared.  Be- 
wildered Lucy  was  helped  off  the  train  politely  by 
the  conductor  and  followed  the  other  passengers  into 
the  depot.  After  some  inquiry  she  found  the  person 
who  had  charge  of  the  depot,  and  he  sent  an  em- 
ploye' to  show  her  to  the  Dubbs  House.  Entering 
that  lordly  brick  pile,  amid  the  sounding  of  dinner- 
gongs  and  the  rush  of  cheerful  people  more  at  home 
away  from  home  than  she,  Loo  stood  anxiously  in  a 


Loo  gets  out  of  and  Ben  and  Alice  get  into  Society.     63 

vestibule  while  the  messenger  inquired  at  the  clerk's 
office.  Presently  a  waiter  led  her  up-stairs  to  a  par- 
lor. 

"  When  was  that  little  child  left  here  ?  "  was  the  in- 
quiry passed  from  the  clerk's  office  to  the  proprietor, 
and  from  the  proprietor  to  his  various  assistants. 

Into  the  very  parlor  where  Loo  sat  huddled  up  on 
a  stiff  sofa,  a  little  boy  came  bouncing,  and  immedi- 
ately after  him  a  woman  with  her  hat  and  gloves  in 
her  hand.  She  seemed  unable  to  let  the  child  get 
out  of  her  sight  and  called  him  shrilly  when  he 
peeped  out  upon  the  balcony.  As  she  was  drawing  on 
her  gloves  a  very  pleasant  gentleman  appeared  and 
walked  up  to  Loo. 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "here  you  are.  This  is  the  little 
boy,  and  he  has  just  been  claimed  by  his  friends  who 
are  taking  him  away." 

Loo  looked  hard  at  the  child.  There  was  no  sign 
of  Arty  about  him.  lie  had  bluff  blue  eyes  and  dark 
hair,  and  was  fat  and  boisterous.  She  wondered  if 
she  wasn't  forgetting  how  Arty  looked  —  he  had  been 
lost  so  long !  She  took  out  her  handkerchief  and 
wiped  her  eyes  and  then  noticed  that  the  child's 
mamma  was  regarding  her  keenly,  as  if  suspicious 
that  she  might  be  another  vagrant  after  that  precious 
little  son. 

"This    young   Miss's  brother    has   been    lost   or 


64  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

stolen,  also,"  explained  the  kind  proprietor  of  the 
Dubbs  House.  "  Lost  since  yesterday  morning, 
eh?" 

"  Sunday  morning,"  sobbed  Loo. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  we  haven't  him  here,  too,"  said 
the  proprietor,  and  then  a  waiter  called  him  out. 

As  soon  as  the  recovered  child's  mamma  under- 
stood the  state  of  the  case  she  went  and  sat  by  Loo, 
asking  a  thousand  questions,  even  shedding  tears 
with  her  own  calamity  so  fresh  in  mind.  She  went 
away  reluctantly  and  had  her  boy  kiss  Loo  so  many 
times  at  parting,  that  the  youngster  lost  patience  and 
roared  indignantly  until  he  was  out  of  hearing. 

Hours  must  pass  before  Lucy  could  return  home. 
She  did  not  think  of  dinner,  but  walked  out  of  the 
Dubbs  House  and  wandered  about  the  streets,  won- 
dering if  Ben  and  Alice  also  had  found  somebody 
else's  child. 

Ben  and  Alice  hastened  along  in  Dr.  Darling's 
buggy,  drawn  by  Thomas'  good  old  sorrel,  which  put 
the  miles  behind  him  as  fast  as  any  sorrel  need  to. 
The  lamplighter  was  just  touching  up  the  street  gas 
in  Danport  as  they  drove  in,  looking  each  out  at  a 
side  of  the  conveyance  and  timid  about  what  they 
ought  to  do. 

"  Do  you  know  where   Mrs.  GreenofT  lives  ? "  ih 


Loo  gets  out  of  and  Ben  and  Alice  get  into  Society.     65 

quired  Ben  of  the  lamplighter,  as  that  cantering  gen- 
tleman mounted  a  lamp  on  the  curb  at  which  he  drew 
up  sorrel. 

"  Right  there,"  answered  the  man,  indicating  a  res- 
idence whose  face  he  had  just  illuminated,  and  so 
saying  he  cantered  on. 

It  was  a  brown-stone  front  with  a  flight  of  broad  steps 
guarded  by  lions  in  stone.  Lace  drapery  shaded  the 
lights  within.  If  Ben  and  Alice  had  not  been  so 
anxious  about  Arthur,  their  simple  country  feet  must 
have  felt  shy  on  the  steps  of  this  palace.  Ben  tied 
sorrel  to  a  ring  in  the  pavement  and  mounted  to  the 
door  with  his  sister. 

A  very  neat  girl  opened  the  door  to  them,  and 
showed  a  vast  expanse  of  hall  melting  away  into  a 
flight  of  velvet-covered  stairs. 

"Is  Mrs.  Greenoff  at  home?"  trembled  Ben's 
voice. 

"  I  believe  she  is,"  replied  the  servant  doubtfully. 

"  We  have  come  to  see  if  a  little  child  we  heard 
was  hurt  here,  was  our  little  brother." 

Inspecting  them  quickly  and  with  surprise,  the 
girl  showed  them  into  a  small  room  on  the  left  side 
of  the  hall,  which  was  evidently  Mrs.  GreenofFs  morn- 
ing-room and  library.  Black  walnut  shelves  filled 
*wo  opposite  sides  of  the  room,  where  books  stood 


66  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

shoulder  against  shoulder  in  rich  array.  The  top  ol 
the  shelves  glistened  with  china  ;  there  were  rare 
old  cups,  so  thin  that  their  closely  wrought  pictures 
seemed  painted  on  air ;  green  and  brown  majolica  in 
pug  dogs  and  tall,  glistening  vases ;  fanciful  faience, 
and  pitchers  of  purest  porcelain  ;  and  on  a  round  ta- 
ble was  a  brown-red  chocolate  tete-a-tete  set,  which 
looked  as  if  it  had  been  used  within  the  hour :  in 
fact,  it  was  Mrs.  GreenorFs  habit  to  order  chocolate 
into  the  library  every  evening  before  dinner-time. 
There  were  easy-chairs  of  every  description.  The 
padded  floor  drowned  every  step.  And,  stooping 
from  the  centre  of  the  high,  frescoed  ceiling,  a 
bronze  Hymen  held  out  two  torches  of  gas  ;  one  a 
mere  star,  the  other  a  clear  flame,  which  revealed 
fully  the  names  of  the  books  in  the  cases,  the  pict- 
ures, and  a  marble  copy  of  the  Medicean  Venus. 

"Do  you  think  Arty  is  here?"  whispered  poor 
Sweet  Alice. 

"  I  —  don't  —  know,"  was  all  Ben  Bolt  could  reply. 

They  waited  some  minutes.  Ben  squatted  on  a 
camp-stool,  balancing  himself  carefully,  Alice  sinking 
deeper  and  deeper  into  a  velvet  chair. 

•'Isn't  it  lovely  here?"  said  Alice  again.  "She 
must  be  so  rich,  Ben  !  " 

The  door  opened  and  "  she  "  entered :  Mrs.  Greenoff, 


Loo  gets  out  of  and  Ben  and  Alice  get  into  Society.     0; 

widow.  A  slight,  very  stylish,  very  handsome  lady, 
with  eyes  which  were  black  and  keen  when  she 
wished  to  be  penetrating,  and  brown  and  soft  when 
she  wished  to  be  winning.  Her  silk  garments  clung 
close  and  statuesque  around  her,  without  trailing  and 
without  much  rustle.  Her  white,  fine  hands  glittered 
with  the  liquid  white  of  diamonds.  Her  eyes  were  black 
and  penetrating  as  she  looked  at  the  children  when 
they  rose  up  before  her.  Ben's  camp-seat  rose  part 
of  the  way  with  him  and  tumbled  back  in  a  collapse. 
His  face  turned  red,  but  he  stood  up  finely  and  hold- 
ing his  hat  in  his  hand,  made  his  bow. 

"  We  are  the  Dogberry  children,"  said  Ben. 

"  Indeed,"  said  Mrs.  Greenoff. 

"  Yes,  ma'am.  And  Arty,  our  youngest,  got  lost 
Sunday  morning ;  and  Mr.  Joyce,  that's  the  agent  in 
New  Town,  got  a  telegram  that  there  was  a  little  boy 
here.  So  we  came  to  see  if  it  was  he." 

Ben  used  his  best  grammar  and  held  himself  as 
became  the  Head  of  the  Bunch.  Inwardly  he  was 
slightly  nettled  at  the  lady's  manner,  and  though  he 
admired  her  intensely  he  wished  her  to  see  he  came 
on -business  and  for  nothing  else. 

But  Mrs.  Greenoff  now  came  forward  and  took 
both  children  by  the  hand. 

"  I  have  not  seen  you  since  you  were  babies,"  ^aid 


68  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

she,  "  but  I  am  glad  to  see  Sarah  Dogberry's  chil- 
dren. I  have  often  thought  of  looking  after  you, 
but  matters  of  one  kind  or  another  always  prevented 
me.  Yes,  there  was  a  little  child  hurt  on  this  street 
this  morning  and  I  have  him  up-stairs.  I  do  not 
know  your  little  brother,  but  I  am  afraid  —  I  do  not 
know  whether  to  say  I  am  afraid,  or  1  hope,  it  is  he. 
Come  up  with  me  quietly  and  you  may  see  him.  But 
don't  agitate  him.  He  is  asleep  now.  An  omnibus 
ran  over  him,"  continued  Mrs,  Greenoff,  leading  them 
up  the  padded  stairs  and  along  another  vast,  dimly 
lighted  hall,  "but,  fortunately,  he  was  only  knocked 
down  and  bruised  a  little.  Still,  he  is  such  an  ex- 
citable child  the  doctor  says  he  must  be  kept  quiet 
as  possible,  or  the  strong  emotions  he  has  been  under 
will  produce  fever." 

She  opened  a  door  into  a  cool,  high  room  which 
suggested  glaciers  and  mountains  and  cascades  to  a 
travelled  mind,  but  to  Ben  and  Alice  it  suggested 
nothing  but  Arty.  A  quiet  woman  with  a  broad  lap, 
in  a  black  dress  and  white  apron,  rose,  obeying  a 
sign  from  Mrs.  Greenoff,  and  drew  the  curtain 
back  off  a  large  crib  standing  in  the  middle  of 
the  room.  There  he  lay.  It  was  Arty  !  His  delicate 
face  was  flushed  and  every  hair  on  his  head  glinted 
in  the  old  way.  Bless  the  wax-like  hands  folded  on 


Loo  gets  out  of  and  Ben  and  Alice  get  into  Society.     69 


the  counterpane  !     Bless  his  dear  mouth  !     Bless  his 
downy,    golden    eyebrows    and  the  lashes    flaring  so 

from  his  lids ! 
Alice  could 
scarcely  keep 
from  flying  a  t 
him  and  squeez- 
ing him  to  her 
heart's  content. 
Now  that  he  was 
alive  and  safe  and 
not  badly  hurt, 
his  young  foster- 
parents  realized 
what  a  huge 
weight  of  s  u  s- 
pense  they  had 
carried .  Ben 
groaned  joyfully. 
The  nurse,  un- 
derstanding the  case,  smiled  sympathizingly ;  and 
two  crystal  tears  rolled  from  Alice's  eyes  down  her 
'clear  cheeks. 

"  She  is  quite  a  pretty  little  thing,"  thought  Mrs. 
Greenoff.  She  motioned  them  to  follow  her  out  again 
and  they  reluctantly  descended  the  stairs  after  her. 


'AS    AKTY  ! 


70  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  He  is  really  doing  very  well,"  said  she.  "I  am 
exceedingly  glad  he  was  brought  to  this  house." 

"  When  can  we  take  him  back  ? "  asked  Ben. 

Mrs.  Greenoff  laughed. 

"  My  dear  boy,  I  don't  intend  to  let  that  baby  go 
away  under  a  week.  Indeed,  the  doctor  says  he 
must  not  be  farther  moved  and  excited.  Now,  let 
me  make  you  comfortable.  How  did  you  come  ?  " 

"In  Dr.  Darling's  buggy.  It's  hitched  out  in 
front." 

Mrs.  Greenoff  went  across  the  library  and  pulled  a 
silk  tassel  which  hung  from  the  ceiling. 

"  Well  then,  ma'am,"  pursued  Ben,  "  we  thank  you 
very  much  indeed ;  and  if  you  and  the  doctor  think 
he  had  better  be  let  stay,  Allie  and  I  would  better  go 
right  back  and  tell  the  other  children,  and  we  can 
keep  coming  to  see  him  till  he  comes  home." 

A  respectful  man  entered  and  stood  for  orders  ;  to 
whom  Mrs.  Greenoff  turned  and  said  : 

"  Michael,  there  is  a  buggy  at  the  door  which  you 
will  attend  to." 

Michael  having  passed  out,  the  lady  further  contin- 
ued : 

".  My  dears,  don't  shame  me  because  I  have  been 
so  tardy  about  showing  interest  in  you.  You  will 
remain  with  me  to-night  —  and  perhaps  to-morrow  — 


Loo  gets  out  of  and  Ben  and  Alice  get  into  Society.     7 1 

at  anyrate.  You  can  write  a  message  at  once  and  I 
will  have  it  sent  to  the  family.  Go  in  there  if  you 
want  to  wash  your  hands.  Dinner  will  be  ready 
shortly."  She  pulled  a  curtain  one  side  and  showed 
them  a  cunning  room  with  marble  basins  and  plenty 
of  towels,  where  water  followed  the  turn  of  a  faucet. 
This  bath-room  communicated  with  Mrs.  GreenofFs 
own  apartment,  and  was  the  connecting  and  rejuve- 
nating link  which  united  her  morning  hours  to  her 
morning-room. 

"  My  patience,  Ben  !  "  murmured  Alice  as  she  rinsed 
her  fingers  and  watched  the  water  curl  away,  "  how 
does  she  stand  it  till  this  time  without  dinner  ?  " 

"I  guess  it's  the  same  as  tea,"  replied  Ben,  "only 
she  calls  it  dinner." 

It  was  not  the  same  as  tea,  however,  as  they  found 
when  they  were  ushered  into  the  dining-room.  It 
was  an  exquisite  meal  in  courses,  containing  dishes 
of  which  the  children  had  never  heard.  There  were 
five  plates  laid.  Mrs.  Greenoff  placed  the  children 
at  her  left  hand,  Ben  nearest  her,  Allie  toward  the 
front  of  the  table,  and  waited  an  instant  with  her 
hand  on  the  back  of  her  chair  until  an  old  lady,  lean- 
ing on  a  woman's  arm,  entered  and  took  the  place 
opposite  the  children,  the  woman  standing  back  of 
her  chair  to  wait  upon  her. 


72  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"Mrs.  Wiley,"  said  the  hostess,  "let  me  present 
these  young  people  to  you.  They  are  children  of  my 
cousin,  Sarah  Dogberry." 

"  Eh  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Wiley,  lifting  her  wrinkled  brows. 
"  Young  people,  I  hope  you  are  well." 

Ben  and  Alice  opened  their  napkins  and  returned 
her  good  wishes.  She  was  an  old  lady,  much  like 
the  fairy  god-mother  in  children's  stories,  but  without 
that  prized  individual's  sprightliness.  She  had  a 
crook  in  her  nose,  a  crook  in  her  back,  a  cap  which 
would  get  into  steeple-shape,  and  a  black  cane ;  she 
also  had  very  penetrating  dark  eyes. 

"  This  lady  is  Mr.  GreenofFs  grandmother,"  ex- 
plained the  hostess  to  the  children. 

The  door-bell  rang  and  a  few  minutes  afterward 
a  young  gentleman  of  eighteen  or  nineteen  entered 
the  dining-room.  I  say  young  gentleman,  for,  at  that 
age,  he  had  a  full-fledged  mustache  and  the  air  of  a 
man.  In  appearance  he  was  ten  years  Ben's  senior, 
yet  there  were  scarcely  three  years  between  them.  He 
had  a  warm,  brown  complexion,  and,  though  his  head 
was  as  freshly  dipt  as  a  florist's  bouquet,  the  black 
hair  showed  its  disposition  to  turn  into  rings  and 
waves.  His  temperament  seemed  genial,  his  pres- 
ence magnetic.  He  was  certainly  a  bright,  hand- 
some young  fellow,  with  some  polish.  Alice  looked 


too  gets  out  of  and  Ben  and  Alice  get  into  Society.     73 

up  at  him  steadily,  and  the  kindly  feeling  flowing 
from  his  eyes  reassured  her.  He  spoke  first  to  his 
grandmother,  bowed  to  the  strangers,  and  then  said 
to  his  mother,  as  he  took  his  seat : 

"You  must  pardon  my  being  a  little  late,  mother. 
I  had  some  trouble  getting  the  balance  right." 

"  Certainly,  Joslyn.  Let  me  introduce  the  children 
of  my  cousin,  Sarah  Dogberry.  You  never  saw  them, 
and  I  confess  I  have  not  seen  them  since  they  were 
quite  small." 

Joslyn  bowed  again.  A  quizzical  smile  played 
over  his  face  at  the  mention  of  "  children,"  and  Al- 
ice could  not  help  reflecting  his  smile  as  they  looked 
at  one  another  once  more.  But  as  for  Ben,  his  face 
flared  red.  He  did  not  mind  being  mentioned  as  a 
child  to  the  old  grandmother ;  but  when  it  came  to 
being  presented  as  a  juvenile  to  a  youth  older  than 
himself  only  in  advantages,  he  mentally  resented  it. 
Mrs.  Greenoff  saw  this  and  continued  with  ready  tact, 
addressing  Ben  and  Alice  while  she  indicated  Jos- 
>: 

"And  this  is  my  child,  very  little  your  senior. 
Your  mother  thought  him  a  fine  baby  when  last  I 
saw  her." 

The  fine  baby  pulled  his  mustache  and,  addressing 
Alice,  said  he  thanked  Cousin  Sarah  Dogberry  for 


74  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

that  pretty  compliment;  and  Alice  liked  him  very 
much  indeed  for  calling  her  mother  Cousin  Sarah. 
She  thought,  also,  that  if  she  had  known  Arty  was 
safe  here  she  would  have  taken  more  pains  with  her 
dress,  and  have  been  surer  of  her  best  hem-stitched 
cuffs  and  collar.  She  was  afraid  Ben  would  eat 
with  his  knife,  or  pour  his  coffee  out  and  set  his  cup 
on  the  cloth,  in  the  free-and-easy  way  he  did  at 
home. 

That  hour,  a  desire  for  refinement  and  refining  as- 
sociations as  the  means  of  the  best  culture,  rose 
strongly  in  her.  She  found  these  strange  kindred 
kind  and  genial  and  pleasing  without  any  effort  to 
appear  so.  Among  the  bluff  New  Towners  she  had 
heard  polish  sneered  at,  as  a  sort  of  insincere,  social 
veneering  which  hid  contemptible  faults.  "  Still  it  is 
nicer  than  rudeness,  even  when  it  is  shallow," 
thought  she  ;  "  but  O  I  when  it  goes  all  through,  how 
beautiful  social  culture  must  be  !  " 


CHAPTER   VII. 

WHAT  THE   ELDEST  DOGBERRYS   DID   IN   SOCIETY. 

MRS.  WILEY  said  very  little,  but  she  watched 
the  children  sharply.     When  all  rose  from  the 
table  she  disappeared  with  her  servant. 

"  Do  you  like   music  ? "  asked  Joslyn,  turning  at 
once  to  Alice. 

"  O,  very  much  indeed  !  " 

"  Then  let  me  take  your  brother  and  you  to  the 


music-room. 


75 


76  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

Allie  hesitated. 

"  I  want  to  go.  But  could  you  wait  a  moment  un- 
til I  run  and  see  if  my  little  brother  is  awake  ? " 

Joslyn  would  readily  wait.  He  wanted  to  look 
over  the  evening  paper  in  the  library;  they  would 
find  him  there. 

With  Ben  creeping  softly  beside  her,  Alice  ran 
again  up-stairs.  Mrs.  Greenoff  was  required  by  even- 
ing callers,  so  they  went  by  themselves.  Nurse 
Tucker  answered  their  muffled  rap  at  the  chamber 
door. 

"  Come  in,  dears.  He's  awake  and  has  had  his 
supper,  and  is  just  as  peart  and  sweet  as  he  can  be.'* 

"  Arty,  darling,  do  you  know  Allie  ?  And  here's 
brother  Ben.  Bless  the  precious  !  " 

For  answer,  and  to  demonstrate  his  sweetness,  the 
Precious  lifted  one  little  leg  and  kicked  violently  at 
his  relatives. 

"Go  'way!"  he  howled.  "I'll  slap  ye!  I'm's 
want  my  Jack  !  " 

"Jack  will  come,  baby.  Be  quiet;  there's  a 
dearie,  do." 

The  nurse  came  to  him  with  some  sweet  soothing 
mixture ;  and  he  let  himself  be  raised,  and  lay 
propped  quietly  among  pillows. 

"He's   very   sore    yet,"   said   Mrs.   Tucker.     "A 


What  the  Eldest  Dogberry s  did  in  Society.         77 

massy  it  hadn't  smashed  his  brains  out,  poor  little 
love  1  There's  the  black  and  blue  bruises  on  his  lit- 
tle body  would  make  ye  cry." 

"  Arty,  do  you  know  Benny  ?  " 

"No.     I'm  don't  know  ye  1" 

"  Darling,  how  did  you  come  here  ?  " 

Arthur  closed  his  eyes  and  panted  a  little  while. 
His  sister's  eyes  filled. 

"  I  runned  off,"  he  deigned  to  reply.  "And  'eu  I 
called  Jacky  and  he  wouldn't  come.  And  I  cried. 
Big  wagon  runned  over  me  —  all  over  me.  'Ey 
runned  on  you'  dolling  boy  1" 

"Poor  little  darling  boy!  He  was  hunting  Jack. 
Where  did  you  think  Jacky  was,  Precious?  " 

"  Hiddley-giddle." 

"  And  who  brought  you  to  Hiddley-giddle  ?  " 

"  Deedle  an'  Sipsey." 

And  that  is  all  they  learned  of  Arthur's  journey. 
From  hints  which  his  memory  furnished  afterwards, 
it  appeared  that  he  had  been  assisted  over  his  twelve- 
mile  jaunt  by  various  persons  who  considered  him 
lost ;  but  he  skillfully  gave  everybody  the  slip  who 
interfered  with  his  search  after  Jack.  He  talked  of 
riding  in  carriages,  and  cf  big  men  and  big  wagons, 
but  he  was  sure  of  nobody  except  Deedle  and  Sip- 
sey. 


78  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  Will  it  hurt  him  to  talk  ? "  asked  Alice,  while 
Ben  got  down  and  made  a  sheep  of  himself  to  bring 
out  a  smile  on  the  little  brother's  face. 

"  Best  not  to  worry  him,  dears." 

"  Will  he  need  anybody  to  sit  with  him  to-night  ?  " 

"O,  no;  just  his  medicine  reg'lar.  I'll  take  good 
care  of  him,  don't  you  be  afraid." 

"  I  ought  to  have  thought  of  bringing  clothes  for 
him,"  said  Alice,  ruefully. 

"  O,  don't  you  fret.  There's  lots  of  gowns  in  the 
house,  and  his  little  suit  has  been  all  brushed  and 
cleaned  up.  It  was  that  covered  with  dirt  and  dust ! 
You  leave  him  to  me.  I  know  all  about  children," 
laughed  Nurse  Tucker. 

They  thanked  the  good  soul  and  still  lingered  a 
minute  ;  Alice  to  kiss  the  plump  round  of  his  cheek 
just  as  his  eyes  were  closing,  and,  for  answer,  she  got 
a  smart  pat  from  his  prompt  little  hand. 

"  It's  a  good  sign,"  laughed  Mrs.  Tucker. 
"  Crossness,  cure  certain." 

"  I'm  will  kiss  ye,  Allie,"  repented  Arthur.  And, 
giving  her  a  melting  kiss,  he  dropped  off  into  a  deep 
sleep  before  she  left  the  room. 

Joslyn  was  reading  in  the  library  beside  a  drop- 
light.  He  showed  Ben  where  writing  materials  were, 


What  the  Eldest  Dogberrys  did  in  Society.        79 

with  which  to  write  a  note  to  the  children.  This  Ben 
wrote  and  addressed  to  Loo,  with  a  plea  on  the  outside 
to  the  postmaster  to  hasten  its  delivery ;  and  Joslyn  sent 
it  off  by  Michael  to  catch  the  evening  mail.  Then  he 
led  them  to  the  music-room  ;  an  octagon  with  a  whole 
ceiling  of  sky-light,  through  which,  in  daytime,  the 
sunshine  came  tempered  by  the  soft  brown  colors  of 
the  glass. 

This  room  was  still  in  twilight,  though  no  burners 
were  lighted  ;  and  the  rest  of  the  house,  not  so  illu- 
minated, was  quite  dark.  Joslyn  drew  some  matches 
and  touched  them  to  what  seemed  to  be  two  whole 
clusters  of  wax  candles,  supported  by  two  St.  Cecil- 
las,  who  stood  at  opposite  sides  of  an  organ.  In- 
stantly the  whole  room  sprung  into  great  beauty. 
The  floor  was  of  polished  oak,  and  the  walls  were 
wainscoted  half-way  up.  A  portrait  of  Mozart  hung 
over  an  etagere  of  his  music.  Beethoven  and  Sebas- 
tian Bach  also  appeared  above  racks  devoted  spe- 
cially to  them.  There  were  casts  of  the  heads  of  Verdi 
and  Haydn  and  many  more  wonderful  men,  completely 
fascinating  to  Allie  when  Joslyn  in  his  enthusiasm  told 
about  them,  giving  sketches  of  their  lives  and  de- 
scriptions of  their  works.  There  were  several  instru- 
ments in  the  room.  Allie  looked  up  with  some  awe 


80  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

at  the  organ  with  large  blue  pipes,  built  into  one  side 
of  the  room. 

"That  must  have  cost  a  considerable  lot  of 
money,"  remarked  Ben. 

"Two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars,"  replied  Jos- 
lyn  smiling,  "  and  worth  its  price,  every  cent." 

While  Ben  was  calculating  how  long  it  would  take 
to  earn  two  thousand  five  hundred  at  his  trade,  and 
how  much  the  said  two  thousand  and  five  hundred 
would  do  for  the  children,  young  Greenoff  picked  up 
some  rounded  sticks  and  struck  several  taps  on  a 
large,  flat  drum. 

"  This  is  a  tom-tom,"  said  he. 

Answering  it,  as  if  it  were  an  accustomed  signal,  a 
boy  entered  the  room  through  a  door  opposite  the 
one  leading  to  the  front  of  the  house,  and  went  be- 
hind a  screen  at  one  side  of  the  organ. 

Joslyn  opened  the  instrument  and,  placing  his 
guests  in  seats,  began  playing  for  them.  He  was 
quite  a  musical  amateur  for  one  so  young.  Alice 
trembled  with  delight  as  the  volume  of  the  organ  was 
for  the  first  time  revealed  to  her.  She  stood  up  and 
remained,  like  one  of  the  St.  Cecilias,  wrapt  in  the 
sense  of  hearing.  Joslyn  was  not  a  very  tripping, 
light-fingered  performer,  but  he  had  a  gift  for  shading 
his  music  by  combinations  of  stops.  The  enthusiasm 


What  the  Eldest  Dogberry s  did  in  Society.         8 1 

of  listeners  always  helped  him,  too ;  so  he  enjoyed  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  of  his  own  playing  as  much  as  Al- 
ice did.  Ben  stepped  around  the  pile  and  took  in  its 
mechanical  capacity,  and  watched  the  little  blower 
pumping.  Joslyn  showed  him  how  the  bellows 
worked,  and  the  effects  of  the  stops  and  pedals. 

"  How  did  you  ever  learn  it  ?  "  cried  Allie. 

"  O,  I  have  just  begun,"  said  Joslyn.  "  I  took  les- 
sons during  the  winter  that  we  spent  in  Milan.  I  saw 
Verdi  bring  out  his  opera  of  '  Aida '  there.  '  [t  was 
fine,  I  tell  you !  Then  I  had  lessons  in  Germany, 
and  1  practice  when  I  have  leisure.  Some  day.  maybe. 
I  can  play  !  " 

Allie  felt  sure  he  was  one  of  the  finest  performers 
in  the  country;  but  suppressing  her  conviction,  she 
asked,  timidly : 

"  How  long  did  you  stay  in  Europe  ?  " 

"  We  were  there  three  or  four  years  wandering  up 
and  down.  That  is,  I  wandered  considerably  with 
my  uncle,  Mr.  Thorn  ;  but  mother,  on  Grandmother 
Wiley's  account,  stayed  a  great  deal  in  Paris.  My 
grandmother  is  fond  of  foreign  countries,  but  does 
not  like  travel  and  change.  She  is  very  old." 

"  What  is  your  business  ? "  inquired  Ben. 

"  I  am  learning  banking  with  Uncle  Thorn,"  re- 
plied Joslyn. 


82  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  I  should  think  it  was  nice  clean  work,"  observed 
Ben. 

"  It  is,"  laughed  Joslyn,  "  when  the  dirty  accounts 
don't  get  mixed.  What's  your  work  ?  " 

"I'm  a  carpenter,"  said  Ben,  "  and  I  think  I'm  go- 
ing to  like  it  first-rate.  My  notion  is  to  get  to  be  a 
master-builder,  and  even  plan  houses  and  other  build- 
ings. I  think  building  is  one  of  the  most  useful  — 
and  —  and  —  important  businesses  in  the  country." 

"  So  it  is !  "  cried  Joslyn,  who  loved  enthusiasm  in 
anybody.  "  How  many  children  are  there  of  you  ?  " 
he  added,  after  a  pause. 

"  Seven.  And  Allie  teaches ;  Jack  is  learning  rail- 
roading ;  Loo  takes  care  of  the  house ;  and  the  three 
little  ones  are  growing  nicely,"  said  Ben,  with  family 
pride. 

"I  wish  I'd  found  you  out  before,"  said  Joslyn. 
"  I  like  you.  I  am  sure  mother  would  have  taken 
great  interest  in  you  if  somebody  had  brought  you 
under  her  notice ;  but  she  always  has  to  have  things 
put  under  her  notice  before  she  will  attend  to  them. 
I  bring  the  accounts  of  the  family  expenses  to  her 
and  set  her  down  to  them.  All  women  are  alike," 
glancing  quizzically  at  Alice,  "  they  have  no  idea  of 
the  value  of  time,  and  can't  account  for  how  they 
spend  it." 


What  the  Eldest  Dogberrys  did  in  Society.        83 

"  If  I  had  such  a  music-room  as  this,"  said  she, 
"  I  could  account  for  some  hours  I  should  spend." 

"  Don't  you  play  ?     Let  me  hear  you." 

"O,  no!"  Allie  flushed  scarlet.  "  She  could  not 
play,  but  she  wanted  to." 

"  She  does,"  cried  Ben.  "  She  plays  the  organ  for 
Sunday-school  in  New  Town  and  leads  the  singing!" 

She  was  then  constrained  to  sing  and  she  did, 
choosing  instead  of  the  great  organ  she  admired,  and 
the  square  piano  which  she  was  not  sure  of,  a  small 
cabinet  organ.  She  sung  in  a  sweet  contralto,  and 
Ben  dutifully  stood  by  her  and  roared  out  his  Sunday 
bass,  which,  as  his  voice  was  not  yet  heavy,  sounded 
uncertain  in  parts.  Joslyn  leaned  against  the  wain- 
scot and  watched  her  kindly.  She  really  had  a  great 
deal  of  attraction  for  him. 

"  I  should  like  to  practice  with  you.  It  is'n't  so 
far  to  New  Town.  Couldn't  you  come  over  some- 
times and  learn  the  organ  if  we  send  ?  " 

Simultaneously  with  this  wonderful  vista  the  door 
from  the  front  hall  was  opened,  and  Mrs.  Greenoff 
looked  in. 

"Joslyn,  Professor  Guilder  and  Rose  and  the 
McKnights  are  here.  And  Mrs.  Wiley  has  sent 
down  to  ask  you,"  to  Ben  and  Alice,  "  if  you  will 
come  to  her  room  a  little  while." 


84  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  This  way,  please,"  said  Mrs.  Wiley's  woman  to 
the  children  as  Joslyn  followed  his  mother. 

She  led  them  into  a  hall  branching  from  the  main 
entrance  on  the  ground  floor,  and  ushered  them  into 
what  seemed  to  be  a  suite  divided  by  curtained 
arches.  The  first  room  was  a  parlor,  dimly  lighted, 
furnished  in  heavy  old-fashioned  furniture  ;  but  the 
second  room  was  bright  and  cosy,  pale  buff  colors 
predominating  in  it.  There  was  a  variety  of  easy 
chairs,  and  in  the  largest  and  most  pliable  of  them 
sat  Mrs.  Wiley,  her  wrinkled  hands  resting  on  the 
top  of  her  black  cane  and  her  two  very  small  feet  rest- 
ing on  a  velvet  foot-stool.  She  looked  more  than  ever 
like  the  fairy  god-mother,  and  eyed  the  children  as 
they  took  the  seats  to  which  she  motioned  them  as  if 
she  had  half  a  mind  to  lift  that  ebony  cane,  touch 
each  of  them  and  change  them  into  a  Prince  and 
Princess  of  the  most  approved  fashion.  She  was 
above  eighty  years  old  and  some  of  her  faculties 
were  impaired  ;  but  her  memory  and  her  sense  of 
her  own  dignity  were  as  fresh  as  when,  a  beautiful 
woman,  she  had  life  all  before  her  as  these  children 
had. 

"  Wiley/'  said  she  to  her  attendant,  "bring  some 
bon-bons." 

The  woman,  who  had  the  same  name  as  her  mis- 


What  the  Eldest  Dogberry s  did  in  Society.         85 

tress,  but  was  unmistakably  of  good  Irish  stock,  went 
to  a  rosewood  cabinet,  and  opening  it  revealed  its  use 
as  a  cupboard  of  sweets.  She  was  so  neat-handed, 
so  attentive  and  kind,  that  Allie  loved  her  honest 
face.  She  piled  three  small  china  plates  with  cun- 
ning French  confections  of  fruits,  and  added  to  each 
a  bunch  of  hot-house  white  grapes ;  for  this  old  lady 
had  never  lost  her  sweet  tooth,  and  she  picked  dain- 
tily at  her  bon-bons  while  Ben  and  Alice  sat  before 
her,  properly,  but  with  great  relish,  tasting  theirs. 

"  How  old  are  you  ?  "  she  asked  Alice. 

"  Eighteen,  ma'am." 

"  You  seem  a  mere  child.  Sixty-three  years  ago  I 
was  eighteen.  President  Madison  lived  in  the  White 
House  then,  and  I  wore  a  silver  tissue  dress  to  one 
of  his  receptions.  I  was  lighter  on  my  feet  than  you, 
my  dear.  You  have  a  pretty  face."  She  put  up  her 
eye-glasses  and,  leaning  forward,  looked  closely  at  Al- 
lie, the  latter  bearing  the  inspection  with  innocent 
gravity.  "  I  want  you  to  realize  what  your  youth  is. 
Enjoy  it  while  it  lasts.  By  and  by  you  will  be  an 
old  woman,  and  then  you  can  only  sit  and  think  of 
the  past  as  I  do.  It  is  a  sin  against  God  when  the 
youth  of  any  child  is  overshadowed.  Are  you  happy  ? " 

"  O  yes,  ma'am  !  " 

"  Sarah  Dearborn  was  a  fair,  pretty  girl.     I  remenv 


86  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

her  seeing  her  often  with  my  grandson's  wife.  Dear; 
dear  !  so  she  has  borne  children  and  passed  away. 
How  many  did  she  leave  ?  " 

"  Seven,  ma'am." 

"  Seven.  And  well  brought  up  and  provided  for,  I 
dare  say/' 

"We  are  doing  for  ourselves,  ma'am,"  said  Ben 
sturdily.  "  We've  been  taught  how  to." 

The  old  grandmother  eyed  him  sharply  and  asked 
Allie: 

"  What  do  you  do  ?  " 

"  I  teach." 

"  O,  you  instruct  the  other  children.  That  is  very 
pretty  of  you  and  saves  expense.  I  used  to  interest 
myself  in  the  lessons  of  my  brothers  and  sisters. 
They  are  gone,  now,  all  gone  !  Where  is  your  watch, 
my  dear  ?  You  should  wear  your  watch  and  consult 
it,  so  you  can  avail  yourself  of  the  best  use  of  your 
time." 

Allie  smiled  with  pure  amusement. 

"  My  watch !     Why,  I  never  had  a  watch  !  " 

Grandmother  Wiley  looked  at  her  some  time  be- 
fore she  accepted  conviction  of  this  fact.  Then, 
without  comment,  she  turned  to  Wiley. 

"  Wiley,  bring  me  my  brass-bound  case." 

Wiley  brought  a  square  box,  very  strong  on  the 


What  the  Eldest  Dogberrys  did  in  Society.         87 

outside,  but  very  rich  in  the  inside  with  white  satin 
and  velvet  and  precious  stones.  It  shot  out  rain- 
bows and  vivid  colors,  as,  placing  it  on  her  lap  and 
applying  a  key,  the  old  lady  opened  it.  Ben  and  Al- 
ice could  not  for  their  lives  help  stooping  near  to 
look  at  this  little  Valley  of  Diamonds.  There  were 
two  or  three  watches  in  two  or  three  white  nests, 
their  chains  meandering  out.  Mrs.  Wiley  selected  a 
heavily  enameled  one  with  a  chased  "A"  on  the 
case. 

"  I  bought  this  myself  in  Geneva,  for  a  little  girl 
who  died.  Her  name  was  Alice,  too  —  did  I  not 
hear  your  brother  call  you  Alice  ?  She  never  got  her 
watch,  so  I  will  give  it  to  you." 

Allie  drew  back,  though  her  large  eyes  were  start- 
ing with  delight. 

"  O,  I  couldn't  think  of  taking  anything  so  beauti- 
ful ! " 

"  Why  couldn't  you  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Wiley  sharply. 

"  I'm  afraid  I  oughtn't — it's  so  lovely !  I'm  sure 
I  never  could  do  anything  to  pay  you  —  " 

"  Hoity-toity  !  Can't  I  give  a  child  a  bauble  ? 
Bend  your  head."  She  dropped  the  long  chain 
around  the  girl's  neck  and  tucked  the  watch  into  her 
dress. 

"  Keep  it  to  remember  what  an  old  woman  has  said 


88  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

to  you.  I  suppose,  sir,"  she  added,  looking  up  sharply 
at  Ben,  who  stood  grinning  with  amazed  joy,  "  that 
you  are  jealous  and  in  a  rage  because  I  didn't  find 
a  trinket  for  you  instead  of  her !  " 

Ben's  grin  ran  over  and  sounded  aloud  at  the  very 
idea. 

"Why,  I'd  lots  rather  Allie'd  have  things  than 
have  'em  myself,  anytime !  I  think  that's  the  pretti- 
est thing  I  ever  saw,  and  I  don't  know  how  we'll 
thank  you  !  " 

"  You're  a  good  boy,"  said  Mrs.  Wiley,  removing 
her  scrutiny.  "  Now  I  will  detain  you  no  longer.  I 
retire  very  early  and  you  will  want  to  be  among  the 
young  people." 

She  extended  her  hand  to  Ben,  and,  obeying  some 
gracious  instinct  which  was  born  in  him,  the  boy 
stooped  and  kissed  the  back  of  it,  which  was  like 
shriveled  rose  leaves. 

"Very  well,  my  son;  I  thank  you  for  this  visit," 
said  the  old  grandmother,  pleased  by  this  sponta- 
neous attention.  Then  she  drew  Allie  down  and 
touched  the  girl's  cheek  with  her  lips.  Wiley  showed 
them  into  the  main  hall,  and  they  went  along  it  arm 
in  arm. 

"  Ben,  I'm  afraid  I  oughtn't  to  keep  this,"  said  Al- 
ice. 


What  the  Eldest  Dogberry s  did  in  Society.         89 

Ben  harbored  misgivings,  but  the  watch  was  so 
pretty  he  could  not  in  his  heart  bear  to  think  Allie 
ought  not  to  keep  it. 

"  We're  poor,  you  know,  Ben,  and  she's —  she's  so 
kind ;  but  she's  very  old,  and  never  saw  us  before  to- 
day, and  Mrs.  Greenoff  might  think  —  " 

"Yes,  so  she  might,"  said  Ben  ruefully.  "I 
thought  of  that  myself." 

"I'll  speak  about  it,"  concluded  Alice,  "and  offer 
it  back.  That's  sure  to  be  the  best  way." 

The  great  organ  in  the  music-room  was  at  this  mo- 
ment in  a  state  of  high  musical  gymnastics,  and  a 
girl's  sweet  soprano  executing  trills  and  crescendos. 

"  I'd  like  to  speak  right  away,"  said  Alice. 

Still  they  both  hesitated  about  re-entering  the  music- 
room  where  the  strangers  now  were ;  so  they  went  to 
the  library,  where  Joslyn  found  them  ten  minutes  la- 
ter, when  he  rushed  in  for  a  book  of  musical  refer- 
ence. He  carried  them  back  with  him  and  intro- 
duced them  to  Professor  and  Miss  Guilder  and  the 
^McKnights.  The  Professor  was  on  the  organ-bench, 
and  it  was  Miss  Guilder's  voice  they  had  heard.  She 
was  a  tall  blonde,  very  stylish,  very  unbending.  She 
nodded  to.  the  two  country  children,  continuing  the 
remark  she  was  making  to  one  of  the  McKnights.  The 
McKnights  were  cousins,  Joslyn  told  Allie  after- 


90  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

wards,  and  both  of  them  warm  admirers  of  Miss 
Guilder. 

One  was  tall,  sarcastic  and  exquisite,  with  very 
glittering  teeth;  the  other  a  short,  good-natured 
young  man,  with  a  voice  like  Punch's,  and  a  hearty 
interest  in  every  human  being  the  world  contained. 
The  tall  McKnight  stood  between  Miss  Guilder  and 
Mrs.  Greenoff,  talking  gracefully  to  both. 

Allie  saw  there  was  no  opportunity  of  speaking 
with  her  hostess,  so  she  gratefully  let  the  short 
McKnight  give  her  a  seat  and  turn  over  her  opera  li- 
brettos for  her,  and  tell  her  in  the  intervals  between 
the  music,  in  the  most  genial  way,  as  if  he  had  known 
her  always,  his  last  summer's  yachting  experiences, 
and  his  general  preference  for  active  sports.  When 
his  tall  cousin  was  present  he  was  eclipsed,  and  Miss 
Guilder's  presence  lost  to  him ;  but  he  seemed  to  en- 
joy "  playing  second  fiddle." 

When  the  Professor  began  playing  again,  however, 
Allie  could  do  nothing  but  watch ;  and  as  for  Ben, 
with  folded  arms  and  eyes  quite  popping  out,  he 
stood  by  himself  contemplating  that  spectacle  with 
astonishment.  The  Professor  was  one  of  those  per- 
formers who  are  said  to  "  play  all  over."  Now  his 
shoulders  galloped  with  his  hands  down  the  octaves, 
and  his  feet  in  a  mad  stampede  thundered  among  the 


What  the  Eldest  Dogberry s  did  in  Society.         93 

pedals.  Then  he  raised  himself  as  if  to  leap  head- 
long among  the  blue  pipes  and  butt  his  brains  out ; 
but,  making  a  quick  dash  to  the  left,  he  pulled  out 
a  handful  of  stops,  jumped  violently  to  the  right  as 
if  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  surprise  the  blower  at 
his  tricks  and  thrash  him,  and  only  changed  it  in 
time  to  grab  another  handful  of  stops  and  climb  the 
banks  of  keys  again.  He  was  improvising,  Joslyn 
told  Allie  :  that  is,  making  up  music  as  he  went  along. 
She  could  only  wish  he  wouldn't. 

"I  think,"  she  observed  gravely,  "he  could  find 
some  that  is  prettier  already  written  out,  and  it 
wouldn't  be  so  hard  to  play  —  don't  you?" 

For  reply  to  this  innocent  speech  Joslyn's  eyes 
flashed  a  thousand  twinkles,  and  he  went  over  by  one 
of  the  etageres  where  she  could  see  his  shoulders 
quake,  as  if  he  were  laughing  to  himself,  and  enjoying 
the  remark  to  which  he  could  make  no  reply. 

"Professor  Guilder  is  a  great  organist,"  murmured 
the  short  McKnight,  "  and  Miss  Guilder  has  a  very 
rare  voice  —  a  pure  soprano." 

Miss  Guilder  did  sing  exquisitely.  Her  voice,  un- 
like herself,  was  pliant  and  richly  tender.  For  the 
first  time  in  their  lives  Ben  and  Alice  heard  really 
good  singing.  Handel's  "Angels  ever  bright  and 
fair "  opened  a  world  of  goodness  and  delight  right 


94  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

close  to  their  senses ;  and  selection  after  selection 
thrilled  them  with  new  feelings.  It  was  in  part  a 
church  rehearsal,  the  Professor,  Miss  Guilder  and 
Joslyn,  being  members  of  a  choir.  Ben  and  Alice 
could  have  wished  it  to  last  all  night,  but  when  the 
callers  departed  they  were  dismayed  to  hear  a  clock 
in  the  drawing-rooms  striking  eleven.  What  hours  for 
young  folks  who  slept  with  the  birds !  This  re- 
minded Allie  of  her  watch,  however,  and  as  soon  as 
Mrs.  Greenoff  had  bowed  the  party  out  she  ap- 
proached her  timidly.  Joslyn  was  in  the  music-room, 
re-arranging  his  music  sheets. 

"We  went  up  to  see  Mrs.  Wiley,"  she  began,  tak- 
ing the  watch-chain  in  her  thumb  and  ringer,  "  and 
she  was  very  kind." 

"  She  has  taken  a  fancy  to  you,  I  see,"  said  Mrs. 
Greenoff,  smiling  at  the  chain  standing  out  in  relief 
against  the  girl's  black  dress. 

•*  But  I  wished  to  ask  you  —  "  There  Allie  paused 
greatly  embarrassed.  When  she  came  to  do  it,  she 
found  it  indelicate  to  hint  to  the  hostess  that  the  el- 
der lady  might  be  in  her  dotage,  and  a  present  from 
her  ought,  perhaps,  to  be  returned.  Mrs.  Greenoff 
understood  her  hesitation  as  delicately  as  she  ex- 
pressed it. 

"  Mrs. .  Wiley   has   paid   you  a  compliment  which 


What  the  Eldest  Dogberrys  did  in  Society.         95 

you  must  appreciate,"  she  said  heartily.  "  She  sel- 
dom takes  sudden  fancies  to  young  people.  Cer- 
tainly you  will  keep  the  watch,  my  dear.  Let  me  see 
if  it  agrees  with  mine  about  the  time.  Yes.  Well,  now 
you  will  be  shown  to  your  rooms,  and  to-morrow  I 
want  to  have  a  talk  with  you  about  your  mother  and 
all  the  children." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


IN    WHICH    JACK    RISES    AND   THE    TWINS    FALL. 

N  Monday  morning 
Jack  sat  at  breakfast 
in  the  cosy  St.  Nich- 
olas, and  opposite 
him  sat  a  portly  gen- 
tleman who  was  Gen- 
eral Agent  for  the 
road  on  which  J. 
Dogberry,  the  day 
before,  made  his 
debut  as  engineer. 
He  tucked  his  nap- 
kin under  his  chin  as 
he  was  the  agent  do, 
and  settled  down  to 
b  re  akf as t  like  a 
man.  Jack  was  hun- 
gry. Sunday  had 
been  a  partial  fast ;  and  in  the  evening  after  his  arrival 
in  Cincinnati,  he  had  no  appetite.  He  was  all  eyes. 


In   Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twins  Fall     97 

The  agent  cut  up  the  steak  and  broke  his  eggs, 
watching  the  boy  all  the  time  with  amusement  and 
approval. 

"  So  you  brought  the  train  through,  did  you  ?  And 
saved  it,  too  !  Those  fellows  made  a  wreck  of  some 
of  the  freights  in  Pontiac.  I'm  going  to  come  down 
pretty  severe  on  Green,  the  engineer  you  relieved, 
and  some  more  of  them." 

"  Yes,  sir,  they  didn't  act  right.  But  I  think  the 
ones  who  did  the  damage  weren't  railroad  boys.  I 
don't  think  you  ought  to  be  too  hard  on  them." 

"  You're  a  clannish  sort  of  a  young  man." 

"  Well,  when  I'm  in  a  business,  I  want  to  stand  by 
the  folks  that  employ  me  and  the  folks  I'm  working 
with.  I  don't  believe  that  engineer  would  have  acted 
so  if  he  hadn't  been  drinking.  He  oughtn't  to  drink, 
you  know." 

"  Certainly  not." 

"  Our  Bunch  of  children,"  pursued  Jack,  "  sort 
of  clan  together  at  home.  And  so  it  comes  natural 
to  me,  when  I'm  in  a  business,  to  stand  up  for  it  and 
for  the  other  people  in  it !  " 

"  How  long  have  you  been  in  the  railroad  busi- 
ness !"  inquired  the  agent  smiling  broadly. 

"  Well,  about  two  years.  I  sweep  out  the  depot, 
and  carry  the  messages,  and  take  down  the  market 


98  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

reports,  and  do  everything  Mr.  Joyce  wants  me  to.  I 
get  ten  dollars  a  month.  It  isn't  much,  but  it's  lots 
better  than  nothing;  and  then  I'm  learning  tele- 
graphing and  all  about  it." 

"  Board  yourself  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  board  at  home.  I  would  have  fifteen 
dollars  a  month  ;  but  I'm  too  young  to  carry  the  mails, 
they  think,  so  I  pay  a  man  five  dollars  a  month  to  do 
that.  That  is,  they  give  him  the  money  they'd  give 
me  if  I  could  do  it." 

"  How  did  you  learn  to  run  a  locomotive  ?  " 

"  O,  I  want  to  find  out  everything  I  can,  so  I'll 
know  the  whole  business.  I  love  an  engine,  and 
the  engineers  taught  me  on  the  road." 

The  agent  kept  smiling  so  Jack  thought  he  was  as 
pleasant  a  man  as  he  had  ever  seen. 

"  So  you're  determined  to  mount  the  whole  lad- 
der ? " 

"  Why,  yes,  sir,  if  I  can.  I  think  the  railroad  busi- 
ness is  splendid.  There's  so  much  git-up  about  it. 
It  keeps  a  man  all  alive,  and  that's  the  way  I  want  to 
be." 

"  It's  very  lively,  then,  up  in  New  Town  ? " 

"  O,  course  it  isn't  like  a  big  city  ;  but  there  are 
two  mail  trains  a  day  and  one  express,  besides  the 
freights." 

"  I   should  like   to  see  such  a  stirring  town,"  said 


In    Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twins  Fall.     99 

the  agent.     "  Perhaps  I'll  run  up  there  before  long." 

"  Do  !  "  exclaimed  Jack,  "  and  come  and  have  din- 
ner at  our  house.  We  have  got  one  of  the  best  gar- 
dens in  town ;  and  I  bet  our  raspberries  will  be  ripe 
before  anybody  else's  !  " 

"That  is  very  tempting.  Now,  while  I  think  of  it, 
give  me  your  full  address." 

He  took  out  a  pencil  and  memorandum  book  and, 
at  Jack's  dictation,  wrote  his  name,  town  and  state. 

"Now,  what  else  shall  we  order?  You  are  my 
guest  and  I  mustn't  starve  you." 

"O,  I've  had  a  splendid  breakfast,  and  I  don't 
want  anything  more,  sir." 

"  Well,  we  will  meet  here  at  two  o'clock,  my  din- 
ner hour.  You  will  want  to  look  about  town.  If 
you  get  tired  of  that,  come  down  to  the  office  on 
Vine  street  —  next  street  to  this,  running  north  and 
south.  And,  by  the  way,"  concluded  the  agent  as  he 
took  up  the  check  and  opened  his  pocket-book, 
"here  is  an  advance  on  the  little  testimonial  we 
intend  to  give  you  for  your  services.  Mind,  young 
man,  I  don't  say  I  quite  endorse  rashness  and  ven- 
turesomeness ;  but,  the  way  matters  resulted,  you 
saved  us  some  money." 

Jack  flushed  as  the  ten  dollar  bill  was  laid  before 
him. 

"  Why,  here  you're  giving  me  my  meals,'1  said  he, 


ioo  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  and  I  didn't  want  anything  for  bringin'  that  train 
down.  I  did  it  just  as  if  it  had  been  my  own,  you 
know ! " 

"  Yes,  I  know.  And  that's  what  we  like.  Take 
this  now  and  say  no  more.  You'll  want  to  get  some 
little  presents  for  that  family  of  yours." 

Jack  thought  of  Arty ;  and,  putting  the  money  with 
great  importance  and  eager  thanks  into  his  porte- 
monnaie,  he  went  out  on  the  shady  side  of  Fourth 
street.  To  a  country  boy  the  fine  old  street  was  a 
valley  of  wonders.  The  melancholy  "  Tay-tine-all- 
toe  !  "  cry  of  the  old-clothes  man,  the  street-cars,  the 
books  and  pictures  and  dry  goods  and  wood-carving 
in  the  windows,  the  brisk  boys  and  girls,  the  rush  of 
people,  the  confused  rumble  and  roar,  kept  him  in  a 
state  of  excitement  which  was  Jack's  idea  of  beati- 
tude. 

He  went  into  the  stores  and  looked  at  the  pretty 
dresses  —  Jack  had  an  eye  for  pretty  dresses — and 
hesitated  a  long  time  over  a  made  suit,  which  he  had 
a  mind  to  buy  for  Arty ;  but  on  learning  that  it  was 
valued  at  twenty  dollars  he  decided  not  to  take  it. 
Then  he  rambled  out  and  found  at  another  place  a 
huge  rocking-horse,  strong  enough  to  hold  himself, 
and  with  man-e  and  tail  of  real  hair,  and  fiery  nostrils 
and  head  erect.  And  after  ascertaining  that  it  was 


In    Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twins  Fall.     101 

amply  within  his  means,  and  meditating  fondly  for 
the  last  time  on  his  green  bill  with  the  X's  on  it,  he 
bought  the  horse  and  ordered  it  sent  to  the  depot 
from  which  he  was  to  start  for  home  in  the  evening. 

The  spell  which  hangs  on  concentrated  money 
being  broken,  Jack  now  acted  the  young  prodigal 
and  flung  it  about  with  a  lavish  hand.  He  got  a  pair 
of  books  for  Rome  and  Remus,  a  silk  handkerchief 
which  cost  exactly  ninety-five  cents  for  Benjamin, 
and  a  pair  of  real  kid  gloves  apiece  for  Allie  and 
Loo.  Not  knowing  the  sizes  they  wore,  he  was  at  a 
loss  when  the  clerk  asked  him  what  numbers.  But 
Jack  was  not  to  be  balked.  He  described  his  sis- 
ters: 

"  Loo  is  tall  as  a  tree,"  said  he,  "  that  is,  pretty 
near ;  and  has  a  long  slim  hand.  She  never  has  had 
but  one  pair  of  kid  gloves,  but  she's  dreadful  partic- 
ular about  the  way  they  fit.  Her  hand  sort  of  gives 
in  and  squeezes  up.  Allie's  smaller,  but  it's  broader 
across  than  Loo's,  and  her  fingers  don't  run  to  such 
a  fine  point.  She's  had  several  pairs ;  and  I  notice 
she  gets  black  ones  most  always,  but  I  think  she'd 
like  those  pale  sort  of  pinky-gray  ones." 

"The  lavender?" 

"  Yes,  if  that's  what  you  call  it.  And  some  awful 
long  black  ones  for  Loo." 


io2  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

I  may  mention  here  that  Jack  came  to  grief  on 
the  presentation  of  these  gloves  to  Loo.  Allie's  fitted 
with  a  nicety  and  a  perceptible  lightening  of  their 
color  which  delighted  her  heart,  and  she  wore  them 
with  great  care,  keeping  them  in  intervals  of  disuse 
in  a  seal-skin  glove-box,  presented  by  Joslyn  Green- 
off.  But  the  tips  of  Loo's  long  black  gloves  hung  off 
her  fingers  like  eagle-claws.  Her  slight  hand  roamed 
around  in  them  and  found  no  rest,  and  she  saw, 
through  tears  of  vexation,  that  they  were  sevens  and 
a  half  !  Jack  didn't  mind  in  the  least  when  she  ran 
and  cuffed  him  with  them ;  but  declared  he  had 
described  her  accurately  at  the  glove  counter,  and 
the  clerk  asked  if  she  was  that  young  person  gener- 
ally known  as  the  Cardiff  giantess ! 

Disposing  of  his  parcels  around  his  person,  Jack 
now  wandered  off  up  Vine  street  j  and  here  he  found 
the  bronze  Woman  of  the  Fountain,  standing  above 
the  esplanade  and  shedding  from  her  out-stretched 
hands  continuous  sprays  of  blessings.  He  never 
had  seen  anything  so  beautiful.  He  walked  all 
around  the  square  to  see  her  from  every  point.  He 
approached  the  great  fountain  and  examined  every 
figure  surrounding  it.  The  child  dancing  by  its 
mother's  side  and  holding  up  joyful  hands  to  catch 
the  rain-drip  from  above,  the  boy  riding  the  dolphin, 


In    Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twins  Fall.     103 

the  old  man  in  a  toga  —  not  one  piece  of  the  groups 
escaped  him. 

"  My  goodness  !  I  wish  Arty  and  the  rest  could 
look  at  it !  'Twould  fill  all  our  front  yard  and  the 
grove.  And  there  she  stands,  winter  and  summer. 
I  bet  the  ragged  young  ones  like  to  come  out  and 
look  at  her.  Seems  as  if  she  was  mothering  every- 
body in  town.  O,  you  pretty  thing  !  It  would  spoil 
me  to  live  here.  I'd  want  to  get  on  a  rail  and  watch 
you  from  morning  till  night;  and  then  who'd  sweep 
out  the  depot,  and  take  the  market  reports,  and  help 
Mr.  Joyce ! " 

Speaking  of  rails  made  him  look  around  to  see  if 
there  were  any ;  but  the  only  ones  to  be  seen  were 
street-car  rails.  A  little  car  drawn  by  two  jaded 
horses  came  jingling  along,  and  reminded  Jack  that 
he  meant  to  try  the  street-cars  and  hadn't  done  it 
yet.  The  red  vehicle  stopped  on  a  crossing  and 
Jack  bounced  in.  After  it  started  it  seemed  to 
travel  on  elbow  roads,  and  went  just  opposite  the 
direction  Jack  thought  he  was  taking.  Still  his 
bump  of  locality  was  full,  and  he  was  not  afraid  of 
getting  lost.  He  crossed  a  canal  bridge  and  the 
aspect  of  the  city  changed,  the  road  grew  steep  \ 
and  on  each  side  of  it  stood  up  the  quaintest  build- 
ings, with  galleries  hung  on  the  outside  far  up  in  the 


io4  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

air,  and  nearly  every  name  above  the  store  doors 
was  in  German.  It  was  the  German  part  of  the  old 
city  where  good  foreigners  and  their  children  keep 
up  the  good  ways  of  Vaderlandt,  and  nothing  is 
changed  from  generation  to  generation.  When  Jack 
paid  his  fare,  with  great  shrewdness  and  business 
dispatch,  he  asked  for  a  "  round  trip  ticket  and  how 
far  the  road  went  ?  " 

"  Going  up  the  incline  ?  "  inquired  the  conductor. 

"The  what?" 

"Why,  the  inclined  plane  — there  it  is." 

Jack  looked  in  the  direction  indicated  and  saw  a 
railroad  in  the  air,  with  its  terminus  at  the  top  of 
what  seemed  to  his  prairie-accustomed  eyes  a  very 
high  hill.  There  seemed  to  be  a  double  track  ;  and 
up  one  a  black  speck  was  sliding,  and  down  the 
other  came  a  similar  black  speck. 

"Do  folks  go  up  and  down  that  thing?  "  thought 
he.  "I'm  going  to  try  it  if  the  rest  do."  So  he 
said  "  Yes,  up  the  incline,"  pocketed  his  ticket,  and 
watched  his  destination  with  rather  a  shaky  heart  as 
he  neared  it. 

The  car  paused,  another  horse  was  added,  and 
these  tugged  the  load  up  to  a  small  house,  which 
seemed  to  be  the  "  Inclined  Plane  "  station.  The  full 
car  was  soon  emptied  and  Jack  followed  his  compan- 


In    Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twins  Fall.     105 

ions  into  the  station,  where  a  man  tore  off  a  coupon 
from  his  ticket  and  put  him  into  an  open  door  which 
seemed  to  give  entrance  to  another  street-car.  A 
signal  sounded  two  or  three  times,  then  the  door  was 
shut  and  locked,  and  Jack  felt  the  sensation  of  rising  in 
the  world.  The  people  appeared  perfectly  calm  ;  win- 
dows were  open  all  around.  Jack  crowded  upon 
the  front  platform  and  saw  that  a  cable  of  iron  wire 
was  drawing  them  up  ;  and  down  came  the  other  car 
rushing  past  them  !  The  roar  of  the  engine  on  the 
hill  filled  his  ears  ;  and  how  nimbly  that  cable  ser- 
pent leaped  over  the  revolving  grooves  of  wood  which 
made  its  path.  He  grabbed  his  hat  with  both  fists  to 
keep  it  from  skurrying  away  on  the  wind,  and  wanted 
to  yell  with  delight.  The  great  city  with  its  mantle 
of  smoke  drawn  over  its  head,  its  spires  glinting,  its 
river  shining  away  to  the  south,  rolled  out  below  him. 
Too  soon  was  it  over.  The  car  went  more  slowly  — 
it  drew  up  to  its  station  —  a  man  waiting  there 
clicked  the  door  open  and  the  people  poured  out. 

"  I've  got  the  trip  back,  though,"  thought  Jack.  So 
he  delayed  that  ecstasy,  wandering  around  the  build- 
ing, and  looking  down  a  circular  hole  at  the  station- 
ary engine  which  worked  the  cars  up  and  down  the 
"  Incline."  Having  still  a  coupon  of  his  ticket  left, 
he  explored  Mt.  Auburn  Street,  and  gazed  upon  its 


106  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

various  residences  with  approval ;  also  upon  its  airy 
height  and  untarnished  greenness. 

"This  is  a  very  fine  place  for  women,"  thought 
Jack.  "  I  wish  all  our  girls  lived  in  that  house  with 
the  slim  pillars  and  such  a  lot  of  porches  !  Come  to 
think,  maybe  they'd  like  this  cunnin'  place  all  over 
vines  best.  But,  as  for  me,  I  like  to  live  down  in 
town  right  in  the  middle  of  everything.  I  don't  mind 
the  suit ;  but  Loo  and  Allie  would  make  a  dreadful 
fuss  about  the  washing  down  there." 

He  reached  the  terminus  of  the  road  and  took  a 
ticket  back ;  and  it  is  a  fact,  which  Jack  was  after- 
wards ashamed  to  own  to  his  family,  that  he  spent 
a  long  time  whizzing  up  and  down  that  "  Incline." 

When  he  returned  to  the  St.  Nicholas  it  was  long 
past  two ;  but  a  waiter,  who  had  evidently  been  set 
to  watch  for  him,  beckoned  and  placed  him  at  a 
table. 

Very  different  from  his  sensations,  as  he  sat  with 
just  such  a  luxurious  dinner  before  him  as  a  boy 
likes,  and  an  attentive  man  at  his  elbow  to  help  him 
to  what  he  couldn't  reach,  were  the  sensations  of 
Rome  and  Remus  as  they  fastened  the  front  door  of 
the  Dogberry  house  and  started  off  with  Jacey  Dixon. 

Jacey  lopped  along,  sawing  from  side  to  side  in  his 


In    Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twins  Fall     107 

accustomed  lazy  way,  his  hands  buried  deep  in  his 
pantaloons  pockets,  but  whether  to  support  his  pants 
or  his  hands  nobody  could  ever  decide.  He  never 
had  suspenders,  but  tied  a  tow  string  around  his  waist. 
He  was  a  very  light-eyed  youth,  about  the  twins' 
age  ;  hollow  in  the  chest,  hollow  in  the  temples,  and 
very  lean-limbed.  He  had  an  active  imagination, 
and  a  great  love  for  the  marvelous  and  startling. 

The  three  trotted  down  a  slope  which  led  to  a 
deep  ravine  west  of  Old  Town.  As  they  sunk  into 
this  valley  it  was  easy  to  see  toward  what  point  they 
were  making.  Here  stood  what  had  once  been  a 
tannery,  a  weather-beaten  old  frame  which  all  the 
children  considered  "  booggerish  !  "  not  only  because 
it  looked  deserted,  and  was  full  of  old  tan-vats  into 
which  one  might  fall  and  be  drowned,  but  because, 
also,  Billy  Greer  lived  there,  the  terror  of  New  Town 
children  after  dusk. 

He  was  a  rag-picker  of  strange  habits.  Bent 
half  double,  with  his  great  sack  on  his  back,  he  grov- 
elled over  New  and  Old  Towns  picking  up  shreds 
and  trash.  He  made  monthly  journeys  to  other 
places,  either  to  dispose  of  his  pickings  or  add  to  his 
treasures.  Danport  was  known  to  be  one  of  his 
beats,  the  twelve  intervening  miles  being  nothing  to 
Billy  Greer.  In  the  daytime,  when  he  jabbered  around 


io8  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

the  gutters,  many  boys  were  rude  to  him,  and,  conse- 
quently, in  the  dark  they  respected  him.  Billy,  in 
his  personal  appearance,  was  a  sight  that  made  small 
children  cry.  He  was  not  social,  and  desired  to 
reside  undisturbed  in  his  mansion  the  tannery. 

"  I  wish  the  sun  wouldn't  shine  so  !  "  cried  Maude 
warm  and  excited,  "  or  else  that  I'd  brought  a  para- 
sol. Why  can't  the  sun  carry  an  umbrella  ?  Look 
at  those  three  or  four  great  big  clouds  standing 
round  the  sky  doing  nothing,  when  they  might  be 
shading  us  I  " 

"  I  think,"  said  Jacey  solemnly,  •'  you'd  better  be 
thinking  about  your  little  brother  down  in  this  here 
cannery ! " 

"  What  do  you  b'leeve  Billy  Greer'd  do  with  him 
if  he  had  him  ?  "  inquired  Rheem,  in  a  voice  which 
betrayed  his  doubt  of  Billy's  having  him. 

"What  do  I  b'leeve  he'd  do  with  him?  W'y,  I 
b'leeve  he'd  put  him  in  a  vat  and  tan  him  as  black 
as  leather  and  then  sell  him  ! " 

"  But  Arty'd  drown  !  "  shuddered  Maude. 

"  And  who'd  he  sell  him  to  ? " 

"  W'y,  to  those  Italians  with  harps  and  fiddles,  or 
the  gipsies.  There  was  a  woman  came  to  our  house 
and  she  wanted  to  stay  all  night,  and  she  had  seven 
children.  Some  was  boys  and  some  was  girls,  and 


In    Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twim  Fall.     109 

some  was  bigger  ones !  And  she  had  a  hand-cart 
and  there  was  a  bar'l  in  it.  I  thought  they  looked 
sort  of  funny ;  some  was  light  brown,  and  some  was 
coffee-color,  and  some  was  purty  nigh  black.  So  in 
the  night  I  heard  her  call  them  up,  and  I  got  up,  too, 
and  watched.  And  she'd  ketch  one  by  the  hair  of 
the  head  and  dip  him  in  the  bar'l,  and  he'd  come  out 
all  clrippin'  with  somethin'  like  ink  ;  then  she'd  ketch 
another  and  dip  him.  The  girls  they  cried,  but  the 
boys  never  said  *  boo ' ;  but  one,  he  got  his  mouth 
full  and  sputtered  it  out,  and  \  was  squattin'  right 
behind  the  bar'l  and  it  hit  me  on  the  head.  There's 
a  black  spot  on  my  head  yit.  " 

Jacey  pulled  off  his  cap  and  offered  his  scalp  for 
inspection  ;  but  there  were  so  many  black  spots  it 
was  difficult  to  say  where  the  dye  marked  him. 

"That  scared  me  so  I  crept  off.  But  next 
mornin'  I  said  to  the  woman  when  she  started : 
'  Missis,  what  you  got  in  that  bar'l  ? '  and  she  says, 
'  Brine  for  pickles.  I'm  gatherin'  pickles  to  sell.' 
And  then  I  knew  she'd  stole  the  children  and  was 
a-colorin'  them  for  the  gipsies  or  Italians." 

Rome's  hair  bristled,  but  Remus  said  : 

"  I  don't  believe  that !  " 

"  Well,  you  needn't,"  retorted  Jacey  doggedly, 
"but  I  can  show  you  the  very  room  where  the 


no  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

woman  slept !  I  ain't  goin'  no  farther.  I  don't  want 
Billy  Greer  to  know  I  told  you  he  had  Arty." 
"  When  did  you  see  him  with  Arty  ?  " 
'*  Didn't  I  see  Arty's  little  linen  dress  stickin'  out 
of  his  bundle  ?  And  last  night,  when  I  come  along 
a-past  the  tannery,  I  heard  the  mournfullest  noise 
that  ever  was,  like  somebody  about  Arty's  size  was 
gittin*  whaled  to  death ;  and  I  crept  up  close  to  the 
house  and  laid  my  ear  close  to  the  ground,  and 
heard  old  Billy  trampin'  round  among  the  vats,  and 
every  little  bit  I  could  hear  the  licks  and  then  a 
sousin'  like  he  was  dippin'  the  little  fellow  again.  \ 
bet  his  skin'll  be  so  black  you  won't  know  him  by 
this  time  ! " 

Credulous  as  Rome  and  Remus  naturally  were, 
and  much  as  their  curdling  blood  resented  such  a 
state  of  things,  they  could  not  quite  credit  all  Jacey 
said,  and  halted  to  parley  further  with  him,  when  a 
sound  rose  from  the  tannery  which  turned  the  burn- 
ing afternoon  into  a  nightmare.  Jacey  took  to  his 
heels,  but  the  shriek  which  drove  him  drew  the 
twins,  trembling  but  decided,  straight  to  the  low  tan- 
nery door.  Remus  knocked  with  all  his  might  and 
then  kicked  with  his  boot.  A  humming  and  purring 
inside  ceased.  Remus  doubled  his  knocks.  The 
door  opened  so  suddenly  that  he  precipitated  himself 


In    Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twins  Fall,     in 

into  the  room  while  kicking  it,  and,  in  a  wink 
Maude  was  whisked  in  also  by  the  collar  of  her 
apron.  The  strong  door  banged  to,  and  Billy  Greer 
stood  over  them,  like  some  great  giant,  in  the  twi- 
light. It  was  never  light  in  there. 

"  I  want  my  little  brother ! "  said  Remus,  with 
some  little  defiance  left. 

Billy  stooped  down  and  looked  at  the  boy  and 
girl.  He  drew  his  mouth  around  one  side  of  his 
face  almost  to  his  ear ;  then  he  let  go  there  and  drew 
it  to  the  other  ear  ;  then  he  opened  it  like  a  cavern 
and  advanced  on  the  cowering  twins.  Rome  began 
to  scream  at  the  top  of  her  voice ;  but  Rheem  only 
stepped  back,  turning  pale,  and  taking  care  to  keep 
his  arm  before  his  sister. 

"You  can't  scare  mel"  he  declared  in  a  trembling 
tone.  "  You  tell  us  where  Arty  is  or  we'll  go  off 
and  raise  the  town  !  " 

It  seemed  likely  that  they  would  go  off! 

The  boy's  defiance  roused  the  giant  of  this  cas- 
tle to  greater  exhibitions  of  rage.  He  began  to  chop 
his  teeth,  these  being  large  and  powerful,  with  a  reg- 
ular clip  which  reduced  even  Remus  to  a  whimper. 
Then  he  grabbed  them  both  again  and  dragged  them 
between  two  piles  of  rags  he  was  sorting.  These 
unfortunate  children  might  as  well  have  been  in  a 


ii2  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

wild  beast's  den  as  in  the  grip  of  this  strange 
creature.  He  had  not  spoken  a  word  to  them  ;  but 
now,  as  he  raked  a  covering  of  boards  aside  with  his 
foot,  he  uttered  a  prolonged,  triumphant  yell.  Rome 
and  Remus  joined  in  fully,  but  with  different  feel- 
ings ;  for  in  the  earthen  floor  he  uncoverd  a  tan- 
vat,  and  they  looked  down  into  it,  seeing  the  brown- 
ish, horrid  liquid  about  to  swallow  them  up. 

Plunge  ! 

Rheem  landed  still  struggling,  but  Maude  fell 
unconscious. 

Why,  the  vat  was  dry !  There  was  nothing  in  it 
except  heaps  and  heaps  of  rags,  ill-smelling,  but 
not  so  choking  as  water.  The  children  caught  their 
breath.  The  boards  were  replaced  over  their  heads. 
Billy  had  shut  them  in.  They  grabbed  hold  of  each 
other  to  be  stayed  and  twin-supported  in  that  dread- 
ful place. 

"  Don't  be  scared,  Rome,"  whispered  Remus,  "  I 
ain't  going  to  let  him  do  anything  more  with  us." 

Between  the  cracks  of  the  boards  now  came  a 
sound  more  blood  curdling  than  anything  before  — 
of  Billy  cracking  his  jaws  and  grinding  his  teeth,  and 
saying  unctuously  —  as  if  he  could  hardly  wait  to 
finish  his  work  before  he  tasted  them  — 

"  I  love  you  !     O,  I  love  you !     How  I  love  you  !  " 


In    Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twins  Fall.     113 

"  Do  you  think  he's  chopped  Arty  up  ? "  sobbed 
Rome  under  her  breath. 

"Po  —  h!     No.     Heda'sn't!" 

"  But  where  is  Arty  ?  " 

"Well,  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  threw  him  down 
here.  When  Jace  was  talkin'  I  didn't  more  than 
half  believe  he'd  got  Arty,  but  now  I  believe  he 
has." 

"  How  I  love  you !  "  gritted  Billy  at  regular  inter- 
vals, bending  to  the  rags  he  sorted. 

The  twins  grovelled  among  the  rags  in  the  vat. 
It  was  not  a  fragrant  work.  Dust  rose  and  nearly 
stifled  them  ;  but  still  with  the  energy  of  desperation 
they  poked  and  dug,  and  felt  down  deeper  and 
deeper  for  the  missing  baby. 

*  Rheem,  why  doesn't  he  cry?  " 

"  Like's  not  he's  pretty  near  choked  —  this  is 
enough  to  do  it  !  Or,  maybe  he's  asleep." 

Rome  put  her  face  down  among  the  nauseating 
rags  and  projected  through  them  : 

"  Arty ! " 

Remus  did  likewise : 

"  Arty  ! " 

Duet  and  chorus  : 

"  Arty  !  you  down  there  ?  '* 

"  Say,  Arty  !     Rheemie's  here  ! " 


ii4  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

11  Arty,  O,  Arty  !  Arte  —  e  -  e !  "  in  a  long,  cau- 
tious, whispered  cry. 

"  I  believe  he  is  dead  !  "  whimpered  Maude. 

"  Feel  and  poke  'round,"  urged  Remus,  "  till  we  hit 
something." 

"  How  I  love  you !  How  I  love  you  !  "  howled 
Billy. 

"  Rome,  there's  something  hard  down  there  !  " 

"  Way  under  the  pile  ?     O,  pull  it  out  quick  !  " 

"I  can't  get  hold!  I  can  just  touch  it  with  the 
end  of  my  foot !  " 

"  Let's  make  the  hole  bigger  and  go  down  in  it." 

They  made  the  dust  fly  like  two  young  war-horses, 
sneezed,  choked,  but  continued  to  dig  until  Remus 
pulled  up  a  box  in  his  hands.  It  was  not  heavy,  but 
it  weighed  like  lead  on  the  children's  little  hands, 
and  was  evidently  made  of  very  strong  wood.  They 
felt  its  angles  and  knobs,  and  tried  without  sight  to 
estimate  its  size. 

"'Tain't  as  long  as  Arty,"  whimpered  Maude, 
betraying  her  unspoken  fear. 

"  What  are  these  round-headed  nails  on  top  ?  " 

"  Run  your  finger  over  'em." 

"They're  letters." 

"  What  letters  ? " 

"  I  can't  find  out." 


In    Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twins  Fall.     115 

"  Let  me  try." 

Remus  investigated  thoroughly  with  his  fingers. 

"  A.  D.     That's  what  they  are,  A.  D." 

At  this  Rome  very  nearly  broke  into  a  howl. 

"  Oh,  Rheemie !  A.  D.  stands  for  Arty's  name ; 
Arty  Dogberry  !  Oh,  he's  put  him  in  here  and  put 
his  name  on  it ! "  wept  Maude,  with  the  clear  and  log- 
ical convictions  of  childhood. 

" O,  po  —  hi  "  begun  her  twin  though  his  chin  was 
shaking. 

Outside,  however,  an  interruption  was  begun  which 
caused  them  to  listen  with  their  breath  in  their  teeth. 
A  heavy  hand  and  persuasive  foot  was  at  work  on 
the  tannery  door. 

"  Come,  I  want  to  see  you,  Billy,"  said  John 
White.  John  White  was  always  coming  to  the  res- 
cue of  the  Dogberry  Bunch  in  one  way  or  another. 
This  second  interruption  at  his  work  made  Billy 
Greer  so  furious,  he  would  have  harmed  the  stock- 
farmer  if  it  were  possible.  He  rushed  out  at  John 
shaking  his  fists  and  uttering  rapid  words. 

"  O,  come,  now,  Billy,  1  know  you  get  teased  and 
touzled,  but  you  must  know  your  friends  from  your 
foes.  Quiet  down,  now.  All  I  want  is  the  children 
in  here.  Where  did  you  store  them  ? " 

Doubling  in  his  accustomed  attitude,  and  docile 


n6  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

under  the  sane  sound  man's  control,  old  Billy  Greer 
at  once  conducted  him  between  the  piles  of  rags  to 
the  tan-vat. 

"  Nice  roomy  place  you've  got  for  your  business," 
remarked  John,  glancing  up  the  dim  walls,  cobwebby 
and  smoked. 

Billy  removed  the  boards  from  the  vat  and  the 
heads  and  shoulders  of  the  terrified  twins  appeared. 

"  O,  pshaw,  now ! "  said  John  with  disapproval. 
"  Tut,  tut,  man  !  this  won't  do.  Don't  play  tricks  on 
such  little  codgers.  Come,  reach  up,  young  ones." 

"  Make  him  tell  where  Arty  is,"  said  Rheem,  when 
his  twin  and  he  were  out  of  the  vat.  Maude  still 
held  the  lettered  box  under  her  apron.  Mr.  White 
lifted  her  out  by  taking  hold  of  her  shoulders.  She 
hid  behind  him  and  carried  the  box,  convinced 
strongly  that  she  had  some  clue  to  Arty  in  it. 

"  Have  you  anybody  else  bottled  under  ground  ? " 
inquired  John. 

Billy  Greer  earnestly  protested  that  he  had  not. 
The  children  ran  as  fast  as  they  could  when  they  saw 
the  daylight,  and  John  walked  out  after  them  laugh- 
ing. They  were  still  confused  and  half-smothered  by 
the  rag  heap ;  and  Maude  forgot  everything  but  the 
instinct  of  flight,  even  with  John  White  to  guard  the 


In    Which  Jack  Rises  And  The  Twins  Fall.     117 

rear,  until  she  fell  up-hill  and  the  box  was  brought 
to  sight  as  well  as  memory. 

"  We're  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  White,"  said  Remus, 
dropping  back  with  more  regard  for  appearances. 
"  How  did  you  know  he  had  us  in  there  ?  " 

"  Jacey  Dixon  came  tearing  up  to  me,  and  told  me 
you  and  your  little  better  part  had  gone  to  Billy's  to 
hunt  for  Arty,  and  Billy  came  out  with  an  ax  and  cut 
you  both  in  half,  and  was  splitting  you  into  fine  kind- 
ling while  he  came  for  help." 

"Well,  he  was  pretty  rough.  I  didn't  mind  much, 
but  I  hated  to  have  him  frighten  Maude." 

"  Hold  on,  little  Dogberry,"  called  John  as  he  saw 
Rome  sprawl,  "  the  danger's  all  over.  I  guess  you 
two  had  better  go  home  with  me  to  Priscilla,  and  let 
her  put  you  in  the  smoke-house  and  fumigate  you 
with  something  to  sweeten  that  pest-rag  smell  you 
got  in  Billy's  vat." 

Rome  looked  into  John  White's  face  as  Remus 
helped  her  up.  His  countenance  reminded  one  of  a 
turnpike  of  granite.  No  down  there.  He  was  never 
known  to  wear  a  beard  ;  but  mica-like  sparkles  of 
fun  and  good-will  shone  over  it.  She  thought  he  was 
the  best  looking  and  pleasantest  man  in  town ! 

"  If  you  haven't  brought  that  box!  "  cried  Rbeem. 

"  What  box  ?  "  asked  John. 


n8 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


"  The  one  we  dug  up  in  that  vat.  Maude's 
brought  it  with  her." 

Maude  dared  not  own  the  secret  convictions 
which  made  her  bring  it;  so  she  stood  trembling  and 
wiping  the  dust  of  Billy's  heap  from  nose,  eyes  and 
ears,  with  her  long  apron,  while  John  White  picked 
up  the  box  and  looked  at  it  curiously. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   GATHERING  OF   THE   CLAN. 

SOME  people  are  always  having  adventures, 
They  find  what  nobody  else  does ;  or  they  go 
on  a  journey  and  miss  a  train,  to  mount  some  delight- 
ful train  of  odd  happenings.  But  Loo  was  not  an 
individual  to  whose  lot  adventures  fall.  She  really 
did  not  like  unusual  occurrences.  So,  wandering 
about  the  streets  of  Carver  City  until  it  was  time  to 
take  the  return  train,  she  was  not  preyed  upon  or 
smashed ;  nor  did  she  encounter  any  rich  old  rela- 

119 


120 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


tive,  who,  looking  upon  her  sweet,  womanly,  young 
face  with  favor,  decided  to  make  her  his  heiress. 
The  only  face  she  recognized  among  hundreds  of 
strangers  was  that  of  Lawyer  McKay,  the  Bunch's 
guardian. 


The  Gathering  Of  The  Clan.  121 

Loo  was  standing  outside  a  bookstore,  looking  at 
prints  in  the  window,  and  occasionally  wiping  a  tear 
off  her  pensive  nose,  when  a  hearty  voice  beside  her 
exclaimed  : 

"  Well,  Lucy,  how  do  you  do  ?  The  other  children 
with  you  ? " 

She  looked  up  and  gave  her  hand  to  Mr.  McKay. 

"  No,  sir.     I  came  alone." 

"  Crying  ?  What's  the  matter,  child  ?  Anything 
wrong  at  home  ?  Were  you  going  to  my  office  ?  " 

This  gentleman  was  an  old  friend  of  the  family. 
A  man  grizzled  and  brisk  and  talented.  The  first 
jurist  in  his  county,  and  second  only  to  the  President 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Dogberry  Bunch. 

It  did  not  take  him  long  to  gather  from  Loo  what 
had  happened.  He  looked  at  his  watch,  thought  a 
moment,  and  then  told  her  he  would  go  back  home 
with  her. 

So  Lucy  came  on  the  afternoon  train,  just  as  she 
expected  to  do,  and  with  her  came  the  guardian. 

Dogberrydom  stood  brown  and  still  in  the  even- 
ing sunshine,  meditating  about  its  emptiness.  I 
suppose  the  little  old  house  said  : 

"  Where  are  all  my  children  ?  Are  the  boys  at 
4ferk  ?  Is  sweet  Alice  in  the  school-room  ?  But 
Lucy's  feet  do  not  pat  about,  and  I  cannot  see  Rome 


122  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

and  Arty  on  the  croquet  field.  I  don't  like  this. 
Come  home,  young  ones  !  I  shall  die  without  some 
life  in  me !  Why,  this  is  a  pretty  way  to  treat  your 
old  home,  that  has  sheltered  you  since  you  could 
chipper  !  Here's  a  strange  cat  sneaking  along  one 
of  my  back  window  sills,  to  find  a  broken  pane  and 
get  into  the  cupboard.  I  don't  believe  I ,  could 
stand  this  all  night.  I  want  to  hear  your  little  noses 
snoring.  You  haven't  gone  off  to  stay,  have  you  ? 
I'd  willingly  have  my  roof  raised  by  a  good  noise  ; 
though  in  times  past  I  did  complain  that  you  shook 
me  considerably." 

Now,  to  the  old  house's  joy,  Ben  and  Alice  drove 
up  to  the  fence,  and,  tying  Thomas'  sorrel,  hastened 
up  the  lawn. 

"Why,  the  door's  locked,  Allie !  "  exclaimed  Ben, 
trying  it.  They  felt  for  the  key  on  a  nail  under  the 
step  (this  was  a  family  secret),  and  entered. 

»We  — ell!"  breathed  Alice,  slowly,  looking 
around  the  silent  and  empty  place,  "  where  are  the 
children  ?  " 

"  That's  what  I  want  to  know !  "  cried  Jack,  burst- 
ing in  from  the  station  where  he  had  just  arrived. 
"  Where's  Arty  ?  Has  he  been  found,  yet  ? " 

"  Yes,  he  has,"  said  Alice,  hugging  Jack  and  shak- 
ing hands  with  him.  "  And  you're  a  nice  boy  to  get 


The  Gathering  Of  The  Clan.  123 

carried  off  while  you  are  in  bed,  and  travel  all  over 
the  country  without  a  clean  shirt  on ! " 

"Where  have  you  been?"  inquired  the  older 
brother,  pumping  Jack's  hand. 

Pat,  pat,  came  a  pair  of  shoes  and  a  pair  of  boots 
on  the  steps,  and  Rome  and  Remus,  with  their  brass- 
nailed  box,  scampered  in. 

"  Why,  here's  Jack !  " 

"  And  Ben  and  Allie  !  " 

"Where's  Arty?" 

A  Babel  of  sounds  now  ensued. 

"  Arty  is  in  Danport !  "  —  "  Where  you  been  ? "  — 
"  Billy  Greer  put  us  in  a  tan  vat ! "  —  "  In  Cincin- 
nati!"—"Was  he  hurt  badly?"  — "No,  only 
bruised  !  — He  was  run  over !  —  He  is  at  Mrs.  Green- 
ofl's !  — We'll  bring  him  home  in  a  day  or  two  !  "  —  "I 
had  a  splendid  time,  and  you  can't  guess  what  I've 
got  for  you  !  "  —  "  O,  I'm  so  glad  the  baby  is  safe  !  " 
"  What's  that  box  you  put  on  the  table,  Maudie  ?  "  — 
"My  gracious!  what  a  noise!  Don't;  we'll  raise 
the  neighbors !  "  —  "  Seems  like  we'd  been  gone  a 
year !  "  —  "  We've  all  been  seekin'  our  fortunes  !  "  — 
"Whew!  Allie,  where  did  you  get  that  big  gold 
chain  ?  "—  "  Why,  where's  Loo  ?  " 

"There's  a  new  candidate  coming  before  this  con- 
vention !  "  shouted  John  White,  looking  in  from  the 


124  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

stoop.  "  It's  your  gardeen.  Lawyer  McKay.  Quiet 
down,  or  he  might  get  a  hickory  and  lick  a  few  of 
you." 

The  Berries,  now  re-assembled,  ran  to  the  door 
and  met  their  guardian  and  Lucy  there. 

"Any  news  from  the  baby  ?  "  he  inquired  directly. 

With  irrepressible  eagerness  they  began  all  talk- 
ing together  again,  when  John  White  stuck  his  fin- 
gers in  his  ears  and  took  a  leap  off  the  stoop. 

"  That's  what  I  came  in  to  ask,"  he  cried.  "  I 
saw  the  horse  and  buggy  tied  down  here.  But  you 
might  as  well  go  to  ask  the  time  of  day  of  Niagara 
Falls  ! " 

Ben  grabbed  a  crayon  of  chalk  from  his1  pocket, 
and  made  a  bulletin  board  of  the  front  door,  chalk- 
ing out : 

"  ARTY 

IS 

FOUND ! " 

"  Where  did  you  find  him  ? "  inquired  Mr.  McKay, 
moving  like  oil  among  the  troubled  waters. 

Ben  and  Allie  related  their  experience. 

"  We  sent  a  letter,"  they  added,  "  and  thought  the 
children  would  know  all  about  it  by  this  time  j  but 


The  Gathering  Of  The  Clan.  125 

I  guess  they  all  ran  off  and  forgot  to  go  to  the  post- 
office." 

"  Didn't  Maude  and  Rheem  stay  here  ?  "  inquired 
Lucy. 

"  I  guess  we  didn't  /"  the  twins  hastened  to  assure 
their  friends,  "  when  we  thought  old  Billy  Greer  had 
Aity,  dipping  him  in  tan-dye  to  make  him  a  little 
gipsy  !  Jacey  Dixon  said  so  ! " 

"  And  we  went  right  down  there !  " 

"  And  he  grabbed  us  and  put  us  into  a  hole  among 
the  rags  ! " 

"  And  he  gritted  his  teeth  and  said  he  loved  us  !  " 

"  I  bet  you'd  never  seen  us  again,  if  it  hadn't 
been  for  Mr.  White  ! " 

"  My  goodness  !  what  children  !  "  murmured  Alice. 
"  Haven't  I  told  you  many  a  time  not  to  go  with 
Jacey  Dixon,  and  to  stay  away  from  Billy  Greer's  old 
tan-house  ?  "  So  she  embraced  them,  and  wiped  the 
dust  off  their  noses. 

"  We'll  have  to  go  back  there  and  take  this  box  to 
Billy,"  said  Rheem. 

The  lawyer  picked  up  the  box.  It  was  of  mahog- 
any. There  was  a  key-hole  in  one  side.  He  took  a 
key  out  of  his  pocket  and  opened  it.  To  save  their 
lives  the  Bunch  could  not  help  huddling  just  a  little 
nearer  to  see  what  might  be  in  it.  Mr.  McKay  took 


126  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

out  one  paper  after  another,  examining  them  sharply 
as  he  did  so. 

"  Where  did  you  get  this  box  ?  " 

Rome,  being  constrained  by  her  lawful  guardian, 
was  obliged  to  stand  up  and  confess.  She  told  why 
she  brought  it,  and  Rheem  added  to  her  testimony, 
as  to  where  they  found  it. 

"  Well,  I  have  taken  a  lucky  trip,  to-day  ! "  said 
Lawyer  McKay.  "The  Durand  heirs  have  been 
searching  for  this  very  box,  two  years  and  a  half. 
Whether  the  rag-picker  stole  it,  or  it  was  carelessly 
thrown  out  in  his  way,  it  is  a  treasure  to  them. 
Here  are  deeds  and  bonds  worth  thousands  of  dol- 
lars to  the  heirs.  And  I  will  see  that  you  haven't 
marched  on  Billy  and  fought  and  suffered  for  noth- 
ing!" 

"  Mr.  McKay ! "  cried  Jack,  who  could  keep  back 
his  own  bonanza  no  longer,  "  look  at  that !  " 

Guardian  looked  at  it.  It  was  a  cheque  for  a  hun- 
dred dollars. 

"I'd  better  invest  it,  hadn't  I?"  bustled  Jack. 
"  And  they  gave  me  ten  more,  besides.  But  I  don't 
think  half  as  much  of  that  as  I  do  of  what  the  agent 
said  about  the  company's  promotin'  me  right  along ! 
And  it  was  all  for  nothin',  but  runnin'  a  train  when 
another  engineer  was  misbehavin' !  " 


The  Gathering  Of  The  Clan. 


127 


"  These  young  ones  does  beat  all !  "  exclaimed 
John  White,  withdrawing  himself  from  the  stoop. 
"  You  never  can  tell  what  they'll  be  up  to,  next ;  and 
throw  'em  in,  deep  as  you  please,  they  always  kick 
out  top  of  the  pile .' 


CHAPTER  X 


WHAT    THE    NEIGHBORS    SAID    ABOUT    IT. 


N 


'OW  Mother 
Darling 
came  running  in, 
with  the  baby  un- 
der one  arm,  and 
a  pan  of  light  bis- 
cuit, wrapped  in 
a    sweet,    clean 
napkin,      under 
the  other.     She 
thought,   as   the 
children  had  all 
been  wandering, 
and   in    such    a 
hurly-burly,    the 
bread  might  be 
used   up    in  the 
bin.     Of  course   she  knew  Arty  was   found.     Every- 
body   in     town    knew   that    by   this    time.     Mother 
128 


MOTHER    DARLING. 


What  The  Neighbors  Said  About  It.         129 

Thomas  and  the  other  neighboring  women  followed 
in  her  footsteps.  You  might  have  supposed  the 
Bunch  were  their  own  children,  they  mothered  them 
so. 

John  White  went  home  about  dusk,  to  his  wife 
Priscilla.  His  farm  lay  a  mile  from  the  centre  of 
New  Town,  and,  when  he  was  not  riding  or  driving, 
he  could  stretch  his  long  legs  over  that  distance  with 
wonderful  speed.  Priscilla  had  supper  all  ready. 
He  could  see  it  on  the  table  through  the  telescope 
formed  by  the  porch,  the  sitting-room  and  the  dining- 
room.  So  he  went  around,  at  once,  to  the  spring- 
room,  where  living  water  bubbled  out  of  a  pepper- 
mint-surrounded spot,  and  flowed  away  through  a 
stone  trough,  and  where  clean  towels  and  clean 
basins  always  abounded,  and  washed  his  hands  and 
face  ready  for  the  evening  meal.  He  came  to  the 
dining-room  door  as  Priscilla  emptied  her  hot  spiced 
cookies  from  a  pan,  and,  while  he  rubbed  his  wet 
hair  into  dry  bristles,  he  said : 

"  They've  found  the  little  fellow,  Priscilla." 

Priscilla    knew    immediately    whom     he     meant. 

They  had  no  children  at  their  house,  and   she  was 

not  as  much  interested  in  the  Dogberrys  as  John  ; 

bi  t  she  had  a  habit  of  knowing  what  John  meant,. 


130  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

every  time  he  used  pronouns  referring  to  people 
whom  he  had  not  mentioned  before. 

"Yes,  I  s'posed  they  would  find  him,"  said  Pris- 
cilla.  "  He  wasn't  hurt  any  way,  was  he  ?  " 

"  Sound  as  a  dollar,  except  a  little  bruising.  They 
found  him  over  at  Danport  with  some  of  their  old 
kin-folks.  Seems  that  he  ran  off  by  himself." 

"  Did  they  bring  him  home  ? " 

"No,  they  haven't  brought  him  yet.  But  the  rest 
are  all  there,  yelling  and  prancing  like  so  many 
cats.  Jack's  had  big  adventures  ;  and  the  two  young 
ones  went  down  to  Billy  Greer's  and  hauled  up  some 
old  deeds  that  Lawyer  McKay  says  are  worth  a  pile 
o'  money." 

"  It  isn't  their  money,  is  it  ?  " 

"  No.  It  belongs  to  some  heirs  by  the  name  of 
Durand  ;  but  I  s'pose  they'll  get  something  for  it, 
though  I  don't  know  whether  they'll  take  it  or  not, 
the  whole  tribe  are  such  independent  little  things. 
I  lent  Ben  ten  dollars  to  go  to  Danport  with,  and  he 
brought  back  the  same  bills,  and  asked  the  favor  of 
doin'  a  little  job  for  nothin'  for  me  sometime,  to 
show  his  gratitude  !  " 

"Well,"  said  Priscilla,  "sit  down,  and  let's  have 
supper." 

About   the   same   time,  Mr.  Thomas  was  blinking 


What  The  Neighbors  Said  About  It.         131 

weakly  across  the  table  at  his  wife,  while  she  gave 
him  "  the  particulars  "  of  the  news. 

Comment  by  Mr.  Thomas,  made  with  a  melan- 
choly sigh : 

"  Well,  it's  better  to  be  born  lucky  than  rich,  they 
say,  and  I  s'pose  them  children  was  born  lucky. 
Ours  wouldn't  fare  that  way,  I  know." 

"  Don't  call  it  luck  !  "  says  Mother  Thomas,  ener- 
getically. "  It's  only  that  children  without  fathers 
and  mothers  is  seen  to,  that's  all.  And  I  believe  ours 
would  fare  just  as  well  if  we  was  to  die  —  and  they 
behaved  themselves." 

"  Then,  we'd  better  die,"  sighed  Father  Thomas. 
"They'd  be  better  off!" 

"  Well,  I'm  goin'  to  mother  my  own  as  long  as  I 
can,"  laughed  she,  "  and  when  I'm  gone,  then  it'll  be 
somebody  else's  turn." 

"  I  think  if  their  rich  relations  has  lived  within 
twelve  miles  of  '  em  ever  since  they  came  home  from 
Yerrup,  three  or  four  years  ago,  and  hasn't  took  any 
notice  of  them  till  now,  they  didn't  want  to  see  them 
very  bad,"  continued  Father  Thomas,  lucidly. 

"  O,  pshaw,  now  !  poor  folks  ain't  such  a  takin' 
sight  that  they're  to  be  run  after.  They  say  people 
live  all  their  lives  just  a  little  ways  from  Niagara 
Falls,  or  the  big  mountains,  and  never  go  to  see 


132  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

them,  just  because  they  can  do  it  anytime.  And 
'tisn't  much  wonder  they  let  relations  alone  that 
they've  hardly  ever  seen,  and  take  no  sort  of  interest 
in.  These  folks  seem  to  like  the  children,  now  that 
they've  sort  of  been  forced  to  notice  them." 

"  The  children  won't  get  any  money  from  that  fam- 
ily, though." 

"Well,  do  they  want  it?"  cried  Mother  Thomas, 
impatiently.  "  The  children  are  doing  very  well. 
It's  better  for  them  to  take  care  of  themselves  and 
learn  how,  seeing  they  have  to.  But  it  won't  hurt 
'em  to  have  rich  friends,  and  to  find  out  how  the 
rest  of  the  world,  outside  of  their  own  town,  lives." 

"  It'll  spoil  'em." 

"Well,  then,  they'll  have  to  get  unspoiled  again, 
if  they're  so  simple  as  that !  " 

Jacey  Dixon,  who  came  in  the  evening  and  jumped 
astride  the  Dogberry  gate-post,  and  whistled  the 
reluctant  Rheem  down  the  lawn,  viewed  the  recent 
circumstances  in  an  Oriental  light ;  his  painted  fan- 
cies rising  cloud-capped  to  the  very  skies. 

"  You  got  us  into  a  pretty  scrape,  telling  us  Arty 
was  down  there ! "  began  Remus,  indignantly,  as 
soon  as  he  came  within  talking  distance  of  the 
whistler. 

"  Yes,  1    sh'd   think   I    did  !     I  wisht  I'd   gone  in 


What  The  Neighbors  Said  About  It.         133' 

myself!  And  I  would,  too,  if  I'd  known  old  Billy 
had  a  box  full  o'  money  there,  savin'  up  for  anybody 
that  wanted  it !  I  heard  you  got  enough  to  start  a 
bank  with,  and  was  going  in  partners  with  your  other 
rich  relations !  " 

"•O,  pshaw!"  snuffed  Rheem. 

"  Is  it  so,  that  Allie  brought  home  a  gold  watch 
apiece  for  every  one  of  you  ?  I  heard,  too,  that 
Jack  was  goin'  to  be  President  of  the  railroad,  and 
give  you  all  free  passes  for  the  rest  of  your  lives." 

"  Who  tells  such  things  ?  "  cried  Remus. 

"  Well,  I  wish't  somebody  would  adopt  me  and 
take  me  to  Yerrup,  like  they  say  them  folks  in  Dan- 
port  is  goin'  to  do  all  you !  Lemmy  see  your 
watches !  Hain't  you  got  a  little  one  you  don't 
want  ?  " 


CHAPTER  XL 


THE    CATHEDRAL    CHILDREN. 

NE  other  trip  was  made  to  Dan- 
port  before  Arty  came  home. 
But  at  last  he  was  brought 
in  the  Greenoff  carnage,  in 
Mrs.  Tucker's  charge  and 
under  the  general  guardian- 
ship of  Joslyn,  who  was  to 
stop  a  day  or  two  with  the 
Bunch.  Mrs.  Tucker  went 
back  in  the  carriage  covered 
with  thanks  and  smiles,  and  the  Berries  all  clustered 
around  their  baby  and  their  strange  cousin.  Joslyn 
examined  each  critically,  but  with  sympathetic  enthu- 
siasm. Mrs.  Wiley  had  sent  her  love  to  her  favorite 
Allie  ;  his  mother  a  note  to  her  favorite  Ben.  Jack, 
as  a  young  traveller,  was  ready  to  affiliate  with  their 
134 


The  Cathedral  Children.  135 

travelled  guest,  and  the  younger  children  were  not 
shy  of  him  after  they  saw  Arty  galloping  over  him. 

Arthur  was  a  trifle  more  of  a  despot,  being 
humored  so  much  by  his  nurse ;  but  he  sat  upon  the 
rocking-horse  Jacky  brought  him,  and  rejoiced 
greatly  to  be  home  once  more. 

Lucy  and  Alice  got  into  a  corner  of  the  kitchen 
and  consulted  together  after  this  great  arrival.  The 
outcome  of  their  mingled  wisdom  was  such  a  supper 
as  taxed  the  deepest  resources  of  Dogberrydom.  As 
to  lodging,  that  was  easily  arranged.  They  gave  up 
their  own  room  to  the  guest,  and  went  up-stairs  to 
the  boys'  room,  while  the  boys  adjourned  to  the 
barn. 

It  was  another  Saturday  night,  but  the  June 
weather  suddenly  changed  with  one  of  the  freaks  of 
this  northern  climate.  The  air  took  a  cold  chill ; 
the  clouds  huddled  together  and  rained  a  sleet-like 
drizzle ;  and  at  dusk  a  howling  wind  came  down 
from  the  north  and  shook  everybody's  house  about 
his  ears.  It  was  November  in  the  heart  of  summer. 
Mother  -Darling,  when  Loo,  with  a  shawl  over  her 
head,  ran  to  take  her  the  neighborly  compliment  of 
a  plate  of  their  best  baking  for  company,  bewailed 
her  doctor's  being  out  in  such  a  night,  for  every- 
body else  in  New  Town  huddled  in-doors. 


136  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

Ben  made  a  wood  fire  in  the  open  Franklin  stove, 
which  stood  in  one  corner  of  the  sitting-room ;  and 
Allie  pulled  the  muslin  curtains  close,  resolving  to 
send  all  the  extra  comforters  out  with  the  boys  when 
they  retired.  Jack  and  Rome  and  Remus  studied 
the  brilliant  Joslyn,  who  sat  in  a  stuffed  arm-chair 
before  the  fire  with  Arty  on  his  foot.  The  perfume 
of  the  supper  the  girls  were  preparing  came  in  through 
the  mosquito  netting  of  the  kitchen-door.  It  was 
delicious  comfort ;  yet  it  put  Joslyn  in  mind  of  noth- 
ing he  had  ever  experienced  before.  Everything  was 
so  homely,  yet  so  —  what  Wiley,  his  grandmother's 
Irishwoman,  would  call  "heartsome."  The  atmos- 
phere of  the  house  suited  his  spiritual  lungs  better 
than  the  atmosphere  at  home.  Here  were  so  many 
boys  and  girls,  loving  and  needing  each  other  so 
truly,  yet  with  so  little  dribble  of  sentiment !  Here 
were  such  possibilities,  and  such  needs  to  develop 
them  !  Who  could  tell  what  might  work  out  of  this 
little  brown  house !  The  mysteries  of  the  'Socia- 
tion,  revealed  for  his  financial  judgment,  shook  him 
with  pleasant  laughter.  Yet  he  saw,  in  the  bank  of 
three  dollars  and  odd  cents,  a  great  power,  a  sort  of 
collar  clasping  into  one  all  the  Dogberry  necks. 

Rome  and  Remus  brought  out  their  corn-popper 
and  their  pop-corn;  their  tongues  and  Jack's  kept 


The  Cathedral  Children.  137 

popping,  too.  And  Arthur,  on  Joslyn's  boot,  popped 
laboriously,  but  conscientiously,  into  the  conversa- 
tion, to  entertain  their  guest  with  such  apropos 
remarks  as  : 

"Old  engines  go  'chug,  chug,  chug,'  when  'ey 
draw  trains ! " 

And, 

"  Jacky  an'  I  feed  ve  other  pigs  when  'ey  in  the 
pen!" 

Or  else,  with  visions  of  his  favorite  story,  "  The 
Three  Bears,"  floating  before  his  mind,  he  dabbed 
out  a  sketch  : 

"An'  'ere  'ey  stood  with  'ey  gloves  on,  an'  'ey  par- 
'sols  in  'ey  hands,  an'  Big  Bear  says,  *  Who's  been 
eatin'  my  porridge  ! ' ' 

"  You're  an  odd  little  old  gentleman,  aren't  you  ?  " 
said  Joslyn,  looking  down  at  the  baby's  glinting  hair, 
big  velvety  eyes,  and  three-cornered,  elfish  face. 
"You  pursue  your  own  lines  of  thought  undis- 
turbed by  the  rest  of  the  world.  I  wonder  now, 
really,  that  they  fitted  that  golden-colored  wig  on 
such  an  elderly  person.  Perhaps  it  was  the  largest 
one  they  had,  however,  and  the  only  one  that  would 
stretch  over  that  full  cranium.  Take  it  off  and  let 
us  examine  it,"  said  Joslyn,  bending  forward  and  tak- 
ing hold  of  Arty's  scalp-lock. 


138  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  It's  fast !  "  protested  Arty,  staring  at  the  young 
gentleman. 

"  Humph  !  now  don't  try  to  impose  on  us.  Don't 
you  wear  a  wig  ?  " 

"  Cousin  Jos'n  says  I  wear  a  wig !  "  said  Arty, 
staring  aside  at  his  brothers  and  sisters. 

"And,  while  you  are  about  it,"  pursued  Joslyn 
"  let  us  examine  that  glass  eye  of  yours,  and  these 
india-rubber  ears  that  are  such  a  fine  imitation ! 
Just  look  at  the  curves  and  lines  cf  these  ears. 
They  are  as  natural  as  life  !  " 

"  My  eye  ain't  glass  /"  protested  Arty. 

"You'll  be  claiming  next  that  you  haven't  a  cork 
leg!  and  that  this  nose  of  yours  doesn't  come  off! 
Pull  it  off  and  let  us  see  how  it  is  made.  Really, 
you  are  a  very  well  put  up  old  gentleman !  " 

"It  doesn't  come  off !  "  asserted  Arty,  with  bulging 
eyes. 

"  My  dear  old  fellow !  we  know  all  about  that. 
Your  work  has  been  done  so  well  that  two-thirds  of 
the  world  suppose  you  are  real.  But  —  do  you  take 
yourself  to  pieces  when  you  go  to  bed?  Suppose 
you  should  get  your  leg  on  in  a  hurry  some  morning, 
so  that  the  foot  turned  backwards  instead  of  for- 
wards !  Why,  then,  one  half  of  you  would  walk  one 
way  and  the  other  half  the  other  way,  and  you'd  tear 


The  Cathedral  Children.  139 

yourself  in  two  !  Now  that  you  show  your  teeth  I 
must  remark  that  they  are  a  very  good  set.  The 
lower  ones  false,  too  ?  " 

"  My  leg  doesn't  come  off ! "  cried  Arty,  feeling 
doubtfully  one  of  the  little  warm  limbs  which 
bestrode  Joslyn's  boot.  "  You  mustn't  say  'at !  " 

"  O,  of  course,  we'll  not  say  anything  to  outsiders  ; 
but  I  really  should  like  to  see  how  you  look  when 
you  are  taken  apart  and  put  in  glasses  of  water  and 
hung  around  on  pegs.  It  is  no  wonder  you  ran  off 
to  hunt  up  Jacky,  if  Jacky  is  your  valet,  for  you  are  a 
helpless  old  gentleman  without  him  !  " 

"  I'll  run  off  'gain  ! "  cried  Arthur,  beginning  to 
feel  a  personal  grievance  from  these  remarks.  "  I'll 
let  wagons  run  over  me  ! " 

"  O,  that  would  merely  knock  you  into  pieces,  and 
you'd  be  easily  enough  put  together  again.  I  do 
wonder,  though,  at  your  reckless  extravagance  in 
pegging  all  the  way  to  Danport  on  that  cork  leg ! 
If  it  had  worn  down  what  must  have  become  of 
you  ?  " 

"You're  real  nuglyf"  said  Arty,  now  thoroughly 
on  the  defensive,  and  bristling  at  his  teasing  senior 
as  boy  will  bristle  against  boy. 

"You're  a  Metempsychosis,"  laughed  Joslyn. 
Several  thousand  years  ago  you  were  a  little  trian- 


140  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

gle-faced  Egyptian,  and  you  used  to  play  hide-and- 
seek  around  the  pyramids." 

Arthur  pondered  this.  His  ear  was  sensitive  to 
sounds,  and  the  strange  name  which  Joslyn  called 
him  pleased  it.  He  told  Allie  when  she  put  him 
to  bed  that  he  was  a  'tempychosis  ;  but  his  legs  did 
not  come  off,  and  "  Cousin  Jos'n  was  just  as  nugly  as 
nugly  could  be." 

At  the  supper  table  Joslyn  was  far  from  ugly. 
He  sat  at  Alice's  right  hand  and  helped  her  pass  the 
cups,  and  told  so  many  stories  and  jokes  that  the 
table  would  have  been  boisterous  if  the  girls  had  not 
been  such  natural  little  ladies. 

All  the  children  sat  up  straight,  trying  to  remem- 
ber their  best  manners  ;  and  Allie's  eye  marked  with 
approval  that  the  twins — snuggling  together  as 
usual — did  not  smear  their  napkins  or  upset  their 
cups,  so  the  very  best  table  linen  might  last  while  the 
guest  remained. 

They  had  a  tender  chicken,  broiled  deliciously, 
and  Loo's  best  biscuit,  and  old  Mott's  butter  —  the 
finest  butter  of  the  best  old  cow  in  New  Town  — 
and  mother's  cut-glass  fruit  dish,  bearing  a  floating 
island  of  honey  in  an  amber  sea,  and  cake  in  the 
old-fashioned  solid  basket  which  had  been  Grand- 
mother Dearborn's,  and  Loo's  master-pieces  in 


The  Cathedral  Children.  143 

various  jellies,  quivering  in  various  lights,  and  choco- 
late—  with  a  great  deal  of  milk  in  it  for  the  young 
ones  —  and  finally  flowers  —  in  a  tall  vase  —  seeming 
almost  tropical  on  a  night  when  the  wind  screamed 
around  all  the  corners  "  November !  "  The  girls 
knew  better  than  to  throw  these  delicate  and  tempt- 
ing dishes  helter-skelter  on  the  table,  too.  Their 
mother,  and  their  own  observations,  had  trained 
them  to  be  artists,  and  Joslyn  felt  a  pleasant  thrill, 
like  that  which  is  given  by  an  unexpected  harmony 
in  music,  as  he  looked  over  their  arrangement. 

The  lively  young  man  was  made  —  an  hour  afterward 
—  the  key-stone  of  an  arch  before  the  crackling  Frank- 
lin stove.  Metempsychosis,  on  his  rocking-horse 
beside  his  Jacky,  forming  one  extremity  of  that  arch, 
and  Sweet  Alice,  fair  and  pleasant,  the  other.  Rome 
and  Remus  so  owned  his  attraction  that  they 
allowed  him  to  separate  them,  and  hung  on  each  side 
of  him,  and  Ben  Bolt  and  Loo  sat  next  to  them,  on 
either  side. 

The  arch  said  they  wished  they  could  see  all  the 
countries  on  the  earth  ;  and  the  key-stone  told  them 
wonderful  tales  about  Spain,  and  Germany,  and  Pal- 
estine, and  England,  and  France,  and  Switzerland. 
Their  eyes  stuck  out  with  delight,  and  they  leaned 
forward  so  as  almost  to  destroy  the  arch,  the  magnet- 
ism of  the  key-stone  was  so  great. 


144  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

The  arch  then  said  they  did  wish  they  could  hear 
some  real  good  music  ;  and  the  key-stone  said  his 
head  was  full  of  music,  and  it  sounded  something 
like  this  : 

"  Once  there  was  a  family  of  seven  children,  and 
they  lived  in  a  wooden  cathedral  with  gold  pillars  at 
the  front  of  it.  They  had  lovely  terraces  of  ivory 
for  their  play-ground  ;  and  they  had  also  a  very  dear 
friend  who  frequently  called  them  to  this  play-ground, 
and  made  them  and  himself  happy  with  exercise. 
He  never  thought  which  one  he  loved  best ;  for  he 
could  not  love  one  without  loving  all,  and  each  was 
different  from  all  his  brothers  and  sisters.  If  you 
caught  one  alone,  you  knew  him  from  the  rest  of  the 
family ;  yet,  at  the  same  time,  he  never  appeared  to 
better  advantage  than  when  with  the  rest. 

"  Now  the  cathedral  they  lived  in  was  a  queer 
place,  full  of  arches  and  crannies  and  shifting  cham- 
bers. But  the  brothers  and  sisters  had  a  lovely  time 
in  it ;  and,  though  they  did  not  realize  it,  people  by 
the  thousand  —  I  might  almost  say  '  an  innumerable 
multitude'  —  came  in  front  of  their  cathedral  house 
to  hear  them  as  they  skipped  around  on  the  ivory  ter- 
races. For,  as  they  moved,  they  made  harmonies. 
These  they  could  not  hear  themselves ;  but  they 
moved  according  to  certain  laws  of  their  nature,  and 
as  their  friend  led  them. 


The  Cathedral  Children.  145 

"  These  seven  cathedral  children  never  had  deep 
disagreements,  but  gave  and  took  freely  among  each 
other ;  and  the  friend,  who  delighted  in  playing  with 
them  on  the  ivory  terraces,  loved  them  more  and 
more  every  day  of  his  life.  He  spent  days  and 
months  planning  a  beautiful  movement  for  them. 
The  more  he  loved  them  the  more  he  desired  to 
make  them  give  out  deeper  meanings. 

"  There  was  no  jealousy  among  them. 

"  They  were  well  united. 

"  They  were  so  unlike  that  one  was  necessary  to 
all  the  rest. 

"  But  what  do  you  think  they  did,  when  their 
friend  brought  his  majestic  movement  for  them  to 
play  ?  They  hid  in  the  cathedral  and  eluded  him, 
although  he  pulled  all  the  door  knobs  and  pounded 
at  the  basement.  These  children  shrunk  from  what 
was  tragic  arid  sorrowful ;  and  the  friend  had  to 
catch  them,  and  pull  one  at  a  time  upon  the  terrace, 
each  one  wailing  in  remonstrance. 

"  He  felt  desperately  sad,  and  lay  down  with  his 
head  on  the  lowest  of  the  ivory  terraces.  The  cathe- 
dral was  very  still.  You  might  have  heard  a  mouse 
gnawing  under  the  basement.  The  children  peeped 
out  at  the  front  and  saw,  by  the  dim  daylight,  that 
other  people  beside  their  master  were  lingering  in 


146  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

sight  of  the  cathedral,  in  a  restless  or  heart-broken 
way.  A  lady  in  black  clothes  sank  down  in  a  large 
space  far  below  the  cathedral  and  covered  her  face 
with  her  hands.  The  children  could  hear  her  cry  in 
a  smothered  voice : 

"  *  Oh,  I  am  dying  with  pain  which  still  does  not 
kill  me  !  Oh,  my  little  baby  !  your  loss  strangles  my 
life !  You  went  out  of  my  sight,  and  they  say  you 
are  dead,  and  I  must  submit !  I  cannot  submit !  ' 

"  *  Poor  lady  ! '  whispered  the  children  in  the  cathe- 
dral, *  Can't  we  comfort  her  ? ' 

"  *  What !  with  some  gay  movement  ?  That  would 
never  do ! ' 

"  See  that  ragged  little  girl  slipping  in.  How 
eager  her  face  is  !  What  is  she  saying ! 

"  *  O,  I  wisht  and  I  wisht ! '  said  the  little  girl. 
'  Sometimes  I  wisht  so  bad  I  can't  stand  it,  but  I 
don't  know  what  it's  for,  only  for  better  an'  better! 
Mebby  I  oughtn't  to  keep  a  wishin'  for  what  I  don't 
know  how  to  come  at,  but  somehow  I  can't  help 
it!' 

"  '  The  poor  little  creature's  soul  is  waking  up  and 
shaking  itself,  and  looking  round,'  whispered  one  of 
the  cathedral  children.  'O,  I  wish  we  could  play 
some  movement  which  would  fill  her  with  joy  and 
resolution  for  the  rest  of  her  life  ! ' 


TRAGIC   AND    SORROWFUL. 


The  Cathedral  Children.  149 

"  *  Not  one  of  our  most  brilliant  performances  would 
do  that.  They  are  for  diversion,  for  giving  pleasure. 
The  master's  new  movement,  which  we  hated  to 
learn,  perhaps  would  have  given  us  the  key  of  these 
folks.  Now  there  is  a  man  gnawing  his  beard  and 
folding  his  arms.  What's  wrong  with  him  ? ' 

"  *  The  whole  world  is  a  den  of  selfish  thieves/ 
muttered  the  man.  '  Every  fellow  preys  on  his 
brother.  Pooh  !  talk  about  honesty,  talk  about  love ! 
There  is  nothing  but  self-interest!  The  human  race 
is  a  very  mean  race  — ' 

" '  Ah  ! '  cried  the  cathedral  children,  shaking 
their  heads.  *  Nothing  brilliant  would  put  better 
thoughts  in  that  man's  mind  !  If  we  knew  some- 
thing which  would  touch  his  heart  and  make  it  more 
tender !  Why,  how  many  people  there  are  that  we 
can't  touch  because  we  hated  to  learn  any  painful 
lesson  1 ' 

"  *  Come  1  what's  the  matter  with  you  ? '  exclaimed 
a  friend  of  the  master's,  approaching  him.  *  Call  out 
those  children  you  love  so  well.' 

'* '  They  refuse  to  follow  me  through  any  sorrowful 
lesson,'  sighed  the  master. 

"  '  What !  you,  their  friend  ? ' 

"  '  They  have  been  gay  and  glad.     It  is  natural  for 


150  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

them  to  remonstrate  against  having  the  sorrow  of 
the  world  expressed  through  them.' 

"  *  O,  try  them  again  !  they  cannot  be  so  foolish. 
Do  they  not  know  they  can  be  nothing  to,  and  do 
nothing  for,  the  human  race,  if  they  never  learn  its 
troubles  ? ' 

"  The  cathedral  children's  friend  raised  up  his 
head,  and  opened  the  doors  again.  Then  he  called 
with  all  his  power  to  the  children,  and  they  replied 
to  him  as  they  had  never  done  before.  Docile  and 
sweet  and  trembling  with  earnestness,  they  did  his 
bidding.  They  moved  on  the  terraces,  calling  one 
to  another  with  a  closeness  of  brotherhood  which 
even  the  man  who  despised  men  felt  keenly  —  like 
a  sharp  point  of  truth  in  a  strong  parable.  They 
fell  down  with  their  faces  on  their  arms,  like  the 
bereaved  woman;  but,  above  the  pain  passing 
through  them,  their  master  made  them  call  to  God 
who  heals  pain.  Then  they  marched  on,  at  first  in 
blind  and  confusing  ways,  like  those  in  which  the 
ragged  girl  was  lost ;  but  a  triumphal  march  grew 
out  of  this  confusion,  and  at  last  they  entered  a 
world  of  such  delicious  harmony  that  words  can 
never  give  it  a  description. 

"  The  woman  went  away.  The  man  went  away. 
The  girl  went,  too.  But  the  cathedral  children  had 


The  Cathedral  Children.  151 

spoken  deep  things  which  were  never  to  be  forgot- 
ten, to  these  three,  and  perhaps  to  many  more.  The 
pillars  of  their  great  dwelling  glittered  dimly  in  the 
night,  and  they  slept.  The  gates  were  shut  upon 
the  ivory  terraces,  and  even  their  friend  was  gone. 
But  wiser  and  stronger  for  having  felt  and  borne 
part  of  the  woe  of  the  world  the  seven  lay  silent  in 
the  cathedral ;  and  the  echoes  of  that  movement  will 
stay  there  as  long  as  the  seven  children  do." 

"  Well,  that's  an  odd  story ! "  remarked  Jack, 
when  Joslyn  stopped  speaking. 

"Tell  '  Three  Bears,'  "  suggested  Arthur,  fixing  on 
an  entertainment  more  to  his  mind. 

"  It's  something  about  the  seven  notes  in  music,' 
said  Allie,  hesitating. 

"  You  get  it  1 "  laughed  Joslyn. 

"  And  it  somehow  seems,"  she  added,  "  to  mean 
us  seven  children,  too." 

"We  never  had  a  knock-down  fight  in  our  lives  !  " 
cried  Jack.  "  We  get  along  pretty  well  together !  " 

"  But  when  we  grow  up  and  have  troubles,"  mur- 
mured Loo,  "  I  wonder  how  we'll  get  along  ?  " 

"  I  tell  you,  now,  I  would  hate  to  see  any  of  the 
girls  come  to  grief ! "  cried  Ben,  who  understood 
Joslyn's  fiction  as  a  parable,  "  whether  they  ought  to 
enjoy  it  alongside  of  other  folks  or  not." 


152  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"O,  TV  stand  by  you,  Rome  !  "  cried  Remus. 

"And  7W  stand  by  you!"  she  responded. 

And  "I'd  stand  by  you!"  "I'd  stand  by  you!" 
resounded  all  along  the  arch. 

Before  they  knew  what  they  were  doing,  the 
Bunch  were  all  standing  by  each  other  and  shaking 
hands  with  each  other,  reassuringly. 

"  O,  we'd  all  stand  by  each  other,"  said  Allie, 
laughing,  "  and  if  by  each  other  by  everybody  else 
who  needed  it !  " 

"  You  are  a  Bunch  !  "  said  Joslyn,  rising  also  and 
laughing  and  shaking  himself.  "  Well,  hang  close  ! 
But  it's  nearly  twelve  o'clock,  and  I  believe  my  fur- 
ther hints  and  admonitions  to  you  now  will  have  to 
be  curtailed  with  '  Good-night,  Dogberry  Bunch  ! '  " 


CHAPTER  XII. 

" NO    HOME ! " 

IT  is  a  fact   in   our  existence   that   some  days  or 
weeks,  crowded  with  events,  seem  longer  and  of 
more  importance  than  months  or  even  years  of  quiet 
living.     During  the  years,  however,  we  are   growing 
ready  to  burst  into  the  flower  of  new  events. 

For  two  years  after  Arthur's  journey  the  Dogberrys 
went  on  pretty  much  as  usual ;  on  a  new  plane  to  be 

153 


154  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

sure,  and  improving  themselves,  but  without  any 
important  adventures. 

The  Greenoff  family  did  not  forget  them.  Joslyn 
gave  Alice  music  lessons,  and  the  whole  Bunch,  in 
instalments  of  two  or  three  berries  at  a  time,  were 
taken  to  visit  in  Danport.  But  Allie's  every-day  life 
was  one  of  school  work  and  planning  out  the  chil- 
dren's clothes. 

The  Durand  heirs  were  so  glad  to  get  their  brass- 
bound  coffer  that  they  very  readily  sent  the  twin  dis- 
coverers of  it  a  couple  of  hundred  dollars  apiece  ; 
and  this  great  property  Rome  and  Remus  solemnly 
turned  over  to  their  guardian  to  be  invested  at  ten 
per  cent,  along  with  Jack's  hundred.  They  felt  that 
they  were  mighty  capitalists.  In  seven  years,  if  the 
interest  remained  untouched,  their  fortune  would 
double.  Their  heads  often  swam  with  considering 
how  they  might  use  it  to  the  best  advantage  in  life. 
On  first  coming  into  their  estate  they  proposed  divid- 
ing it  equally  among  the  family  j  but  all  the  Bunch 
except  themselves  scouted  the  very  idea.  Now  they 
were  thrust  into  the  enviable  position  of  heirs !  and 
Rheem  never  met  Jacey  Dixon  anywhere  without 
taking  care  to  act  with  humility,  for  fear  that  highly 
imaginative  boy  should  think  he  was  proud. 

During  this  time  they  thought  much  about  enlarg 


"No  Hornet"  155 

ing  their  house.  Their  tastes  and  ideas  were  grow- 
ing. So  Ben  and  Alice  took  tithes  from  their  earn- 
ings, and  Jack  and  the  twins  turned  over  their  two 
years'  interest  to  the  fund,  and  Ben  himself  built  a 
wing,  raised  the  roof  of  the  summer  kitchen,  and  fin- 
ished the  latter  room  with  a  rough  plaster.  They 
had  now  a  parlor,  a  dining-room  and  a  kitchen,  a 
guest-room  and  two  roomy  chambers  for  themselves. 
There  was  so  much  consultation  and  so  much  wait- 
ing before  these  rooms  could  all  be  furnished  and 
arranged  according  to  their  satisfaction,  that  it  was 
quite  six  months  after  the  beginning  that  they  got  to 
the  outside  of  the  house.  It  needed  a  new  coat  of 
paint,  and  they  all  went  out  and  looked  at  its  brown 
and  weather-beaten  sides. 

"  Let's  paint  it  white,"  said  Jack. 

O,  no  !     Allie  couldn't  endure  white. 

"  And  white  lead  costs  like  fun,"  said  Benjamin. 

"  And  a  white  house  always  looks  like  a  big  tent," 
said  Lucy. 

"I  think  green  would  be  pretty,"  suggested 
Rheem.  "  I  never  saw  a  green  house  !  " 

"  And  you're  never  likely  to  see  one,"  said  Jack ; 
"  especially  Dogberrys'  house.  When  I  was  in  Cin- 
cinnati— "  Jack  was  very  fond  of  soaring  back 
through  his  travels  —  "I  noticed  a  good  many  nice 
buildings  painted  gray  and  brown1." 


156  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

11  In  stripes  and  crossbars,  eh  ?  "  quizzed  Ben. 

"  No,  I  don't  mean  that  way.  I  mean  some  were 
brown  and  some  were  gray.  Gray's  a  pretty  color." 

They  held  many  councils,  and  Ben  Bolt  investi- 
gated every  shade  of  pigment.  A  very  pale  brown 
was  found  to  be  as  cheap  and  pretty  as  anything  they 
could  command.  Pale  brown  it  was,  and  Ben,  in  put- 
ting it  on,  emphasized  it  with  darker  facings.  Under 
this  treatment  the  old  house  appeared  actually  to 
expand.  How  fine,  warm-toned  and  hospitable  it 
looked ! 

"There's  one  thing  more,"  said  Sweet  Alice,  "  but 
we  can't  afford  it !  That's  a  verandah." 

"  I  tell  you  what  looks  nicer,"  cried  Rome,  "  and 
that's  these  stripey  covers  cousin  Greenoffs  have  on 
their  windows." 

"Awnings." 

"  They'd  cost  as  much  as  a  verandah,"  objected 
Lucy. 

Still  their  minds  all  ran  on  that  subject.  The 
house  stood  back  on  a  well  kept  and  shaded  lawn, 
and  the  awnings  would  be  more  delightful  than 
verandahs  all  around.  So  they  thought  and  inquired 
and  planned,  and  finally  made  for  themselves  some 
wonderful  cheap  awnings,  with  covers  to  go  under 
when  it  rained,  and  ropes  to  pull  them  up,  and  a 
framework  satisfactory  in  the  extreme. 


'JUST    PRETTY   ENOUGH   FOR  ANYTHING.' 


"  No  Home  1"  159 

Then  they  sat  down  on  the  lawn  and  looked  at  their 
house  quite  half  a  day.  It  was  a  beautiful  place.  It 
looked  like  a  sea-side  cottage.  None  of  them  had 
ever  seen  a  sea-side  cottage,  so  this  simile  did  not 
occur  to  them ;  but  they  pronounced  it  with  one 
accord  "  just  pretty  enough  for  anything  !  " 

Arthur,  in  knickerbockers  and  blouse,  and  his  first 
boots,  and  a  straw  hat  so  broad  that  it  quenched  him 
like  an  umbrella,  looked  solemnly  at  his  rejuvenated 
home. 

Mother  Thomas,  going  home  with  her  sewing  under 
her  arm,  from  spending  the  afternoon  with  a  neigh- 
bor, saw  the  group  camping  and  came  up  to  find 
what  they  were  about. 

"  Why,  how  fine  we  are  !  "  exclaimed  she.  "  Got 
your  house  done  ?  " 

"  Clear  finished  !  And  O,  isn't  it  sweet !  "  cried 
Rome.  "  I'm  so  glad  we  got  everything  just  fixed  in 
the  summer  time  when  the  trees  are  green.  I'd  feel 
sorry  if  it  had  to  stand  out  in  the  snow  when  it  looks 
so  new  !  " 

"  We're  sitting  here  taking  our  leisure  to  admire  it 
because  we've  been  so  long  about  the  work,"  said 
Sweet  Alice,  smiling.  "  We've  been  nearly  two  years 
planning  it  all  and  raising  the  money  to  fix  the  house. 
Haven't  we,  children  ?  " 


160  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  That's  because  girls  are  so  full  of  notions  and  so 
slow,"  cried  Jack.  "  If  we'd  been  all  boys  we'd  had 
it  done  long  ago  !  " 

"  Yes,  and  what  a  sight  it  would  have  been,"  said 
Lucy.  "  A  whittling  place,  a  sleeping  place  and  an 
eating  place,  and  all  doors  so's  you  could  run  in  and 
out  easy.  That's  a  boy's  house  !  " 

"  Now,  Loo !  "  remonstrated  Ben,"  this  is  part  a 
boy's  work,  and  you  seem  to  think  it's  pretty  credit- 
able." 

"It's  first-rate!"  said  Mother  Thomas,  shaking 
with  good-humored  approval  of  all  that  the  Bunch 
did. 

"  But  you  ought  to  see  the  new  rooms  !  "  cried 
the  twins. 

"  And  the  kitchen !  "  cried  Arthur. 

"  And  the  china  closet !  "  said  Allie.  "  O,  you 
must  come  in  and  see  it  all !  " 

So  they  took  her  amongst  them  —  some  pulling  and 
some  pushing  her,  the  tall  ones  calling  her  attention 
upward,  and  the  short  ones  bespeaking  her  attention 
downward  —  and  showed  her  first  what  improve- 
ments they  had  made  in  the  sitting-room,  the  band  of 
dull  Indian  red  at  the  top  of  the  wall,  a  case  of 
books  on  a  table,  given  them  by  Joslyn  Greenoff, 
their  attempts  at  "  applied  art  "  on  some  cheap  bits 


"No  Home!"  161 

of  pottery,  and  the  effect  the  awnings  produced  in 
the  room.  Then  they  dragged  her  to  the  wing-room, 
fresh  and  new,  the  wood  grained  dark  by  Ben's 
untrained  but  really  imitative  hand,  the  chamber  set 
the  best  their  hoarded  means  could  buy,  the 
grand  easy-chair,  put  together  of  rough  wood  by  Ben 
and  covered  and  stuffed  by  the  girls  ;  then  into  the 
closet  pantry  which  their  budding  architect  brother 
had  introduced  between  the  dining-room  and  kitchen, 
with  *a  window  where  the  dishes  could  be  handed 
back  and  forth,  and  with  such  shelves !  and  such 
snug  locker  arrangements  with  lids,  for  bread,  cake, 
etc. 

Last  of  all  Mother  Thomas  was  constrained  to 
view  the  glories  of  the  new  kitchen,  raised  from  its 
former  low  estate  of  shed  ;  and,  though  she  had  pre- 
viously seen  all  these  things  piecemeal,  not  one  but 
many  times,  she  expressed  as  much  astonishment 
and  joy  over  the  completed  whole  as  if  her  eyes  had 
never  before  rested  on  a  moderately  comfortable 
house. 

"  Stay  to  tea  with  us,"  begged  Lucy,  who,  having 
done  her  week's  baking,  felt  sure  of  a  tolerable  bill  of 
fare. 

"  Yes,  do  !  "  urged  all  the  Bunch,  when  a  shadow 
pushed  over  the  door-step  and  across  the  parlor  floor 


1 62  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

and  quite  into  the  clining-room,  where  they  were 
almost  clamoring  in  their  eagerness  and  joy. 

"There's  some  one  at  the  door.  Maybe  it's 
Cousin  Joslyn  !  "  exclaimed  Jack. 

They  made  a  charge  on  Cousin  Joslyn,  but  it  was 
their  guardian,  Lawyer  McKay.  He  was  a  welcome 
comer,  too  ;  though  they  were  all  just  in  tune  with  Jos- 
lyn's  happy  nature  at  that  moment,  and  would  have 
loved,  of  all  things,  his  criticism  or  approval  of  their 
work. 

Mr.  McKay  had  to  go  over  the  whole  round  which 
Mother  Thomas  had  just  finished.  They  asked  his 
opinion  of  the  wing,  and  desired  to  know  if  he  didn't 
highly  admire  the  band  of  Indian  red  under  the  parlor 
ceiling. 

"We'd  like  to  put  a  new  carpet  in  the  parlor," 
said  Allie,  "  but  we  can  wait  for  that." 

"Yes,  till  after  we  have  bought  an  organ !"  cried 
the  twins. 

"  And  some  more  books,"  said  Ben. 

"  And  some  pictures  !  "  exclaimed  Jack.  "  What 
does  a  fellow  care  for  carpets?  I  just  as  lief  tum- 
ble down  on  the  bare  floor,  if  I  can  have  something 
pretty  overhead  to  look  at.  These  pictures  that 
mother  made  at  scnool  are  real  nice,  but  they  make 
a  fellow  want  more." 


"No  Home/'1  163 

Sweet  Alice  observed  that  their  guardian  viewed 
their  improvements  with  a  grave  and  clouded  face. 
She  and  Ben  Bolt  as  the  heads  of  the  family  felt 
their  responsibility.  She  did  not  wish  him  to  think 
they  had  been  indulging  in  prodigal  expenses. 

"  We  put  a  rug  carpet  in  the  new  room,"  she 
observed,  calling  his  attention  to  it.  "  It  didn't  take 
nearly  as  much  carpeting  as  if  we  had  covered  the 
floor ;  and  is  so  much  prettier  with  the  border !  I 
bought  that  with  the  money  I  meant  to  get  a  new 
summer  suit  with,  but  I  didn't  really  need  the  suit  as 
much  as  we  needed  the  carpet.  Ben  made  that  stain 
for  the  floor-border.  When  you  see  how  little  it  cost 
us  to  make  these  changes,  Mr.  McKay,  you'll  be  sur- 
prised !  " 

"  It's  very  pretty,"  said  guardian. 

Lucy,  while  the  others  were  acting  as  ushers,  had 
touched  up  a  quick  fire  in  the  kitchen  stove  and  set 
the  kettle  to  boil.  She  now  rolled  out  the  table,  put 
in  an  extra  leaf,  and  they  heard  her  rattling  with 
much  importance  in  the  new  china  closet. 

"  I  did  all  the  carpenter  work  myself,"  said  Ben, 
"  and  got  the  lumber  at  the  lowest  figure  —  and  the 
paints,  too.  There's  a  good  deal  in  getting  your 
materials  cheap." 

"  You're    an    energetic,    bright   lot,"  said    Lawyer 


164  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

McKay.     Still    he  appeared   no    less    troubled   than 
before. 

"  We  just  used  the  interest  of  our  money,"  observed 
Jack,  with  importance,  "and  some  more  that  we 
earned  and  saved  on  purpose." 

"  And  now  we've  got  lots  of  room  ! "  cried  Remus. 

"  Plenties  !  "  cried  Rome. 

"  Just  as  pretty  a  home  as  anybody  need  want !  " 
wound  up  Jack. 

"They  do  enjoy  anything  so  much!"  remarked 
Mother  Thomas  to  the  lawyer,  shaking  her  portly 
figure  with  sympathetic  laughter. 

"  You've  used  the  interest  of  your  money,"  said 
Mr.  McKay,  queerly,  "  and  have  been  putting  your 
spare  earnings  into  these  improvements  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir !  "  chorused  the  Bunch  with  faint  appre- 
hension. 

"  We  thought  you  were  willing  we  should  go  ahead 
and  make  them,  sir,"  said  Ben. 

"  I  was.  At  the  time  it  seemed  the  wisest  invest- 
ment you  could  make." 

"  My  gracious  !  "  thought  Mother  Thomas  ;  "  if  the 
man  has  any  fault  to  find,  why  doesn't  he  out  with  it 
instead  of  talking  so  scary  —  just  when  they're  tak- 
ing such  comfort  in  everything  !  " 

"  And  —  wasn't  it  the  wisest  investment  ? ''  inquired 


"No  Home!"  165 

the  Bunch,  all  of  them  turning  up  their  eyes  on  him, 
solemnly  —  except  Ben,  who  stood  on  a  level  with 
his  guardian  and,  therefore,  looked  straight  at  him. 
Arthur's  straw  hat  was  pushed  to  the  back  of  his 
head  —  he  was  the  baby  still,  and  manners  were  not 
rigidly  enforced  on  him  —  his  hair  straggled  down  to 
his  eyebrows,  his  immense,  serious  eyes  were  spread 
wide,  to  take  in  the  full  measure  of  some  calamity 
which  Mr.  McKay  appeared  to  hold  over  their 
heads. 

"No,"  said  their  guardian,  slowly.  "If  I  had 
known  then  what  I  know  now,  I  never  should  have 
advised  it.  I  should  have  been  very  far  from  allow- 
ing you  to  put  your  means  upon  the  house.  I  am 
afraid  you  are  going  to  have  trouble,  children." 

A  breathless  waiting  for  the  worst. 

"  There  is  another  claimant  to  this  property." 

The  younger  ones  scarcely  understood. 

"  Another  party  has  a  title  to  it." 

"  That  won't  do  him  much  good,  I  guess ! " 
exclaimed  Jack,  hotly.  "Our  father  left  this  house 
and  two  lots  to  us/" 

"  But  it  seems  there  was  a  flaw  in  your  father's 
title." 

"  Didn't  you  think  it  was  all  right,  Mr.  McKay  ?  " 
asked  Alice,  piteously,  very  pale  about  the  mouth. 


1 66  The  Dogberry  Bufich. 

"  Of  course  I  thought  it  was  all  right  !  "  exclaimed 
guardian.  "  I  never  examined  into  the  title  very 
closely;  but  White,  after  he  had  settled  up  your 
father's  property,  turned  over  the  papers  to  me  and 
told  me  you  had  your  home  and  your  lots.  The 
taxes  have  been  paid  regularly  —  " 

"  I'm  going  to  Mr.  White  this  minute,"  said  Jack, 
"  and  ask  him  if  anybody  owns  our  house  and  lots 
but  ourselves ! " 

He  darted  across  lots  for  John  White's. 

"  White  was  appointed  administrator,  you  know," 
said  Mr.  McKay.  "  I  was  appointed  guardian.  He 
is  a  good  and  honest  man.  I  suppose  he  knows 
nothing  about  any  irregularity  in  the  title,  and  such  a 
thing  never  occurred  to  me  until  I  got  a  letter  yes- 
terday setting  forth  a  valid  claim  of  another  party, 
and  demanding  possession." 

"  Possession  !  "  gasped  the  Bunch  —  except  Arthur, 
whose  eyes  expanded  more,  if  possible,  and  drank  in 
whole  draughts  of  the  doleful  tidings. 

Lucy,  drawn  from  tea  preparations,  stood  lean- 
ing disconsolately  against  the  dining-room  door- 
frame. 

"  Sit  down,  Mr.  McKay,"  said  Allie,  faintly,  realiz- 
ing that  she  wanted  very  much  to  sit  down  herself. 
Ben  wheeled  the  large  chair  towards  him  and  he  sat 


"No  Home!"  167 

down,  looking  really  distressed  among  his  wards. 
Alice  sat  down  and  took  Arthur  on  her  lap.  Mother 
Thomas,  who  had  a  constitutional  distrust  of  law  and 
lawyers,  also  entrenched  herself  in  a  chair,  and  pre- 
pared to  support  the  children  through  the  danger 
now  threatening  them.  Rome  and  Remus  interlaced 
arms  and  firmly  propped  one  another.  Ben  took  a 
stand  similar  to  Lucy's,  and  leaned  with  one  brawny 
arm  above  his  head. 

"  If  father  bought  and  paid  for  this  property,  Mr. 
McKay,"  said  he,  "  and  got  all  the  papers  for  it,  isn't 
it  ours.?  " 

"  If  the  papers  are  right,"  replied  guardian  ;  "  if  he 
made  his  title  good.  There  are  very  many  instances 
of  defective  titles ;  and  a  piece  of  real  estate  will 
change  hands  again  and  again,  the  lawyers  never 
finding  out  that  another  party  has  the  rightful  claim 
till  that  party  turns  up  to  make  his  claim  good.  I 
suppose  you  might  have  gone  on  comfortably  all 
your  lives  in  this  house  —  some  of  you  —  if  a  certain 
man  hadn't  left  his  affairs,  when  he  died,  in  the  hands 
of  a  very  sharp  person.  That  person  now  claims 
this  little  piece  for  the  estate,  on  the  grounds  of  an 
informality  in  the  first  purchase." 

The  Bunch  were  mystified  but  greatly  distressed. 

"  Nothing  but  a  quit-claim  from  these  original  own- 
ers could  make  your  title  perfect." 


1 68  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  Couldn't  we  buy  a  quit-claim,  then  ? "  Ben 
begged  to  know. 

Mr.  McKay  shook  his  head. 

"  Everything  depends  on  what  they  may  choose  to 
do." 

"  It's  a  shame,"  cried  Rheem,  "  if  our  father  paid 
out  his  money  for  our  house  and  other  folks  can  go 
and  take  it  from  us  !  " 

"  It's  just  as  bad  as  can  be ! "  assented  Maude, 
crying.  "  It's  stealin'  things  !  " 

"  It's  unfortunate,"  said  guardian,  u  truly.  But 
the  law  doesn't  rob,  and,  especially,  doesn't  rob 
orphans.  We'll  see  what  we  can  do." 

John  White  now  entered  with  Jack  panting  at  his 
heels,  and,  after  gravely  exchanging  greetings  with 
Mr.  McKay,  asked  to  have  the  case  repeated  to  him. 
The  two  men  went  into  the  guest-room  —  alas,  that 
its  first  use  should  be  such  a  funeral-like  one  !  —  and 
held  a  consultation.  John  White  had  administered 
on  the  very  small  Dogberry  estate,  and  had  done  it 
to  the  best  of  his  ability.  He  had  seen  an  abstract 
of  the  lots  and  considered  everything  safe. 

"  Do  you  think  they'd  better  fight  this  ?  "  he  asked, 
greatly  disturbed.  "  If  they  haven't  the  means  for  it, 
I  have.  I  feel  like  I  ought  to  see  the  thing  through." 
John's  granite-like  face  showed  the  quartz  and  feld- 
spar now,  instead  of  its  usual  mica-like  glints  of  fun. 


"No  Home/11  169 

"  Frankly,  no,"  said  their  guardian.  "  There's  a 
minor  on  the  other  side,  too.  They'd  get  involved 
in  endless  suits,  or  get  judgment  against  them ;  for 
the  thing's  very  clear.  I  wouldn't  have  had  this  hap- 
pen for  a  year's  income  !  " 

"  It's  a  shame  ! "  cried  John,  "  discouraging  the  lit- 
tle tribe  so,  when  they're  so  full  of  hope  !  More  energy 
than  half  the  grown  folks —  and  just  got  their  house 
fixed  up  to  their  idee  !  " 

"  There's  this,"  said  Lawyer  McKay,  indicating  a 
point  on  which  to  fasten  hope.  "The  Dalrymple 
estate  is  very  large.  This  is  a  stray  bit  of  one  of 
Dalrymple's  investments  in  Western  lands.  In  this 
locality  it  isn't  very  valuable  to  the  estate.  If  there 
wasn't  a  minor  heir  on  that  side,  too,  I  might  get  a 
quit-claim  deed  from  that  estate  which  would  make 
these  children  safe." 

While  their  friends  were  conferring  the  Bunch 
huddled  together  in  the  parlor.  Mother  Thomas 
secretly  indignant  at  being  shut  from  a  consultation 
in  which  she  felt  a  vital  interest,  went  home,  pained 
and  excited  over  the  probable  fate  of  the  children, 
and  they  remained  for  some  time  without  speaking. 

Then  Sweet  Alice,  unable  longer  to  bear  the  strain 
of  controlling  herself,  wiped  two  oozing  tears  from 
her  eyes  and  murmured  : 


170 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


11  What  shall  we  do  if  we  have  to  lose  our  home  ?  " 

The  twins  took  up  the  wail : 

"O-oo-oh!     No  home!" 

And  Arthur  emphasized  it  by  opening  his  mouth 
even  wider  than  his  eyes,  and  joining  the  melan- 
choly chorus  with  a  whoop  of  grief : 

"  No-o  home ! " 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

BLACK   SHORT -HAND. 

AFTER  his  short  consultation  with  John  White 
Mr.  McKay  went  home  again.     He  paused  at 
the  door  to  cheer  them  up  as  well  as  he  could. 

"At  any  rate  you  have  possession,"  said  he,  "  and 
will  keep  it  until  the  matter  is  settled  one  way  or  the 
other.  We'll  do  the  best  we  can." 

John  White  walked  to  the  railroad  station  with 
him,  quite  roused  and  anxious. 

How  different   their  house  looked  to  them  now  1 

171 


172  •    The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

They  got  up  and  marched  over  it  again.  They 
lamented  in  the  spare  room.  They  regretted  the 
beauty  and  finish  of  the  china  closet.  In  their 
wrath  and  desolation  they  wished  they  could  say 
"  Abracadabra ! "  and  turn  the  kitchen  back  into  a 
shed! 

"  That  lovely  band  of  Indian  red  !  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Our  awnings ! "  exclaimed  Rome  and  Remus, 
tremulously.  "We'll  take  them  off  —  so  we  will! 
We'll  carry  them  away  with  us  !  " 

"  But  where  shall  we  carry  them  to  ?  "  said  Allie. 
She  and  Ben  gazed  at  each  other. 

"  Well,  don't  let's  cry  till  we're  hurt,"  urged  Jack. 
"  Mr.  McKay  says  we've  got  possession  and  can 
keep  it  till  we're  turned  out ;  and  if  they  go  to  turn 
us  out  we'll  shut  the  doors  and  windows,  and  —  and 
—  and  —  yes,  we'll  fight  'em  !  " 

Jack  saw  an  imaginary  host  of  big  harsh  men 
armed  with  clubs  and  true  titles,  and  his  soul  rose  in 
resistance. 

"  There's  no  use  in  our  talking,"  said  Ben  —  as 
the  Head  of  the  House  he  stated  plainly  their  posi- 
tion to  them  all  —  "  if  we  have  to  give  up  our  home 
we'll  just  do  it,  and  get  another  the  best  way  we  can. 
Perhaps  the  time's  coming  for  us  to  stand  by  each 
other ! " 


Black  Short-Hand.  i?3 

They  drew  closer  together. 

"  There's  our  four  hundred,"  exclaimed  Rome. 

"  You  can  have  all  that,"  said  Remus. 

"  Yes,  we'll  have  a  little  left,"  observed  Jack,  "  for 
there's  my  hundred,  too." 

Sunday  passed  dolefully.  On  Monday  Allie  went 
to  school  as  usual.  Ben  put  in  a  good  day's  work  on 
one  of  the  buildings  which  were  habitually  rising  in 
New  Town.  Jack  did  his  station  business,  and  Loo 
kept  the  home  machinery  running.  But  in  them  all 
there  was  a  secret  solemn  looking  towards  the  impend- 
ing crisis.  At  four  o'clock  Rome  and  Remus  came 

o 

home  from  school  with  Arty  toddling  between  them. 
He  deserted  them  near  the  station  and  went  to  his 
Jack  ;  and  they  went  straight  to  the  loft  over  the  sta- 
ble to  carry  out  some  literary  work  which  they  had 
planned. 

This  loft  had  no  windows  except  broad  chinks 
between  the  boards ;  but  they  considered  it  a  delight 
ful  sort  of  studio.  For  ceiling  it  had  the  brown  and 
pointed  roof ;  and  the  swallows,  like  low  murmuring 
musical-boxes,  played  continually  under  its  eaves. 
The  floor  was  very  clean.  There  were  two  stools, 
and  a  table  made  of  a  box  set  on  legs,  with  a  lid 
which  raised,  disclosing  treasures  of  copy-book  frag- 
ments and  bits  of  blank  paper  torn  off  letters.  In 


174  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

one  corner — and  convenient  to  the  stadio,  like  an 
Italian  apartment  —  was  Maude's  own  special  pri- 
vate residence,  her  cupboard  preserving  all  the 
dishes  ever  broken  in  Dogberrydom ;  her  table, 
made  by  Remus,  and  slightly  uneven-legged  like  a 
kangaroo,  and  both  her  rag  and  china  dollies. 
Raggy,  with  oblong  head  and  stiff  crosspieces  of 
arms  and  her  pencilled  features  half  defaced,  lay 
sprawling  out  in  her  blue  calico,  looking  very  much 
discouraged ;  but  the  China,  whc^se  charming  name 
was  Helen  Evelyn  Rosalie  Dogberry,  sat  up  in  a  lit- 
tle rustic  chair  made  of  roots,  and  kept  house  beauti- 
fully. 

"  Susan,"  said  Maude  to  Raggie,  "  you  do  look 
ridiculous  poutin'  down  there.  I'd  switch  her  if  I 
had  the  heart,  for  showing  such  a  disposition  ;  for  I 
set  her  up  straight  at  noon  and  this  morning,  too, 
and  she  kicks  over  every  time.  But  maybe  she  feels 
bad  about  us  going  to  lose  our  place,  and  doesn't  know 
what  in  the  world  she'll  do  for  a  home  !  " 

"  Maybe  she's  sick,"  said  Rheem,  beginning  to 
seaich  his  breeches'  pockets  for  a  stub  of  a  lead  pen- 
cil, taking  out  a  bunch  of  string,  some  flints,  three 
paper  birds,  a  half-shelled  ear  of  corn,  two  knives 
(one  swapped  and  to  be  delivered  up  the  following 
morning  for  a  jews-harp,  which  the  other  boy  forgot 


Black  Short- Hand.  175 

to  bring  that  day),  some  nails,  and  a  small  padlock 
and  key,  and  half  a  dozen  matches. 

"  Let  me  have  my  key,"  said  Rome,  "  maybe  she  is 
sick.  I'll  unlock  my  house  and  see." 

She  very  gravely  received  the  padlock  and  key 
just  mentioned  from  her  brother's  hand,  and,  step- 
ping to  an  imaginary  door  rattled  the  two  together. 

"  Lock,  lock,  lock,  lock !  Now  it's  open.  Susan, 
what's  the  matter  with  you,  my  sweet  child  ?  Aren't 
you  well?  Or  have  you  lain  down  on  the  floor  just 
to  show  your  naughty  temper  ?  Look  at  Helen  Eve- 
lyn sitting  there  like  a  little  lady  !  " 

Here  she  changed  her  voice  to  a  tiny  plaintive 
whine  and  spoke  for  Susan. 

"  Ma,  she  won't  let  me  have  the  chair  at  all !  She 
sits  in  it  all  the  time,  and  I  have  to  stand  up  or  lean 
across  one  of  the  cupboard  shelves  !  " 

"What,  Helen  Evelyn,  won't  you  let  Sister  Susy 
sit  in  the  chair  ?  You  mustn't  be  selfish  with  your 
sister ! " 

"  Yes,  ma,  Susy  may  have  it." 

"That's  a  good  girl  !  I  guess  you  can  both  sit  in 
it.  Now  kiss  each  other." 

She  bumped  their  faces  together.  Helen  Evelyn's 
nose  appeared  worn  away  somewhat  by  greetings  of  a 
similar  character  on  harder  substances  than  sister 
Susy's  cheeks.  And  she  had  lost  one  foot,  but  did 


176  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

all  that  she  could  genteelly  to  cover  that  defect. 
The  foot  had  wandered  to  school  in  her  ma's  pocket. 
Maude  meant  to  sew  it  on  again  — it  being  a  china 
foot  on  a  cloth  joint  —  but,  in  an  unguarded  moment, 
she  traded  it  off  to  another  girl  for  some  chewing 
gum,  which  Allie  prohibited  her  chewing.  So  it  was  a 
dead  loss ;  for  the  girl  wouldn't  trade  back,  and 
Helen  was  injured  for  life.  Perhaps  this  circum- 
stance made  her  heart  tenderer  towards  this  doll,  for 
all  the  handsomest  clothes  fell  to  Helen  ;  but  favorit- 
ism did  not  spoil  her  sweet  disposition. 

Having  crowded  her  two  children  into  the  root 
chair,  Maude  drew  up  the  table  before  them  and 
gave  them  a  bit  of  wholesome  and  nourishing  candy 
for  their  supper,  with  a  great  many  bits  of  broken  china 
from  the  cupboard  shelves  for  them  to  feast  their  eyes 
upon.  Susan  was  still  slightly  perverse  and  stuck 
one  foot  upon  the  table,  declaring  that  Helen  Evelyn 
squeezed  her  out  of  the  seat;  but  her  mother 
checked  her  with  a  reproachful  shake  of  the  head. 

"  Come  on,"  said  Remus,  "  I've  found  it !  "  produc- 
ing from  a  fold  of  his  pocket,  where  several  fish- 
hooks were  embedded,  a  speck  of  lead  pencil  to 
which  he  carefully  gave  a  point,  and  in  doing  so 
reduced  its  size  so  much  that  it  wabbled  on  the 
paper  between  his  finger  and  thumb. 

"  I  must  put  'em  to  bed  first." 


Black  Short- Hand.  177 

"  O,  let  them  put  themselves  to  bed !  We'll  never 
get  our  letter  done." 

Rome  took  her  key  and,  retreating,  again  made 
magic  passes  with  it. 

"Lock  —  lock,  lock  —  lock!  Now  the  door's 
locked.  Here,  put  up  the  key  for  me,  Rheemie." 
Then  she  returned  to  their  sanctum  and  studio. 

Remus  was  already  on  a  stool  with  the  fairest  half 
sheet  of  paper  before  him,  sucking  the  lead  pencil 
stump.  He  took  the  key  absently  and  slid  it  into  his 
trousers'  pocket. 

"  Now,  don't  lose  it,"  exhorted  Maude,  in  her 
usual  formula ;  "  for  what  'ud  I  do  if  those  children 
should  be  locked  in,  and  their  clothes  should  take 
fire  and  I  couldn't  get  to  them  !  " 

"  I  won't  lose  it !  "  cried  Remus,  spurning  the  idea, 
as  he  always  did,  though  his  daily  path  was  sown 
with  lost  doll-house  keys,  and  he,  had  once  been 
obliged  to  force  the  invisible  door  with  a  corn-cob 
that  Maude  might  get  in  to  her  starving  dollies. 
She  now  brought  her  stool  close  to  his,  and  put  her 
arm  around  the  back  of  his  little  vest. 

"  Do  you  spell  dear  with  a  big  D  or  a  little  d  ?  " 
inquired  he. 

"Big,"  said  Maude. 

He  wrote  laboriously.     "  Dear — " 


178  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  Maudie,  how  does  Cousin  Joslyn  spell  his 
name  ? " 

"  I  don't  know.     I'll  run  and  ask  the  girls." 

"  Don't  you  !  "  cried  Remus,  bringing  her  down  in 
full  flight.  "  We  weren't  going  to  tell !  We  were 
going  to  write  our  own  selves  !  " 

The  truth  was  that  they  instinctively  knew  the 
family  pride  would  keep  the  older  ones  from  pouring 
the  tale  of  Dogberry  calamity  into  Joslyn's  bosom. 
But  no  such  pride  hindered  them,  and  they  did  not 
want  to  be  hindered  by  anything  else.  Joslyn  was  a 
mighty  power  in  their  eyes.  His  fertile  nature  had 
often  added  to  their  joys.  It  was  now  the  very  lux- 
ury of  trouble  to  display  it  before  him.  What  he 
would  do  they  did  not  know.  Something  tremen- 
dous, probably.  One  thing  they  were  sure  of,  and 
that  was  his  warm  —  his  real  comforting  sympathy. 

"  Well,  how  do  you  think  it's  spelled  ?  " 

"  Don't  write  it.  Put  a  J  and  wait  till  we  get 
thiough  •  then  maybe  we  can  think  of  the  rest." 

"Dear  J.  — " 

"  Say  Mr.  McKay  came  and  told  us  we  hadn't  got 
any  house  or  lots." 

"  How  do  you  spell  McKay  ?  I  wish  there  wasn't 
so  many  names  !  I  guess  I'll  put  it  K  —  'n'  then  we 
can  fix  it.  *  Dear  J  — ,  K.  says  we  haven't  any 


Blaek  Short-Hand. 


179 


property'  — that  sounds  better  than  lots.     Property. 
Le's  see.     P-r-o-p  —  " 

"  P-i,  pi,  proppi  —  " 

"  Aw,  pshaw  I  don't   le's  say  property,  it's  so  long. 


"  LE'S  SEE.     P-R-O-P  —  " 

Le's    say   residence  —  that's   what    folks    call    their 
houses.     R-e-z,  res  —  " 

R-e-j,  Rheemie!     Don't  you  know  how  to   spell 
'•esidence  ? " 


180  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  O,  I  can  spell  it;  but  it  takes  so  long  to  write, 
and  this  pencil  slips  so !  I'll  put  it  R." 

"  Little  r,  or  else  we'll  think  it's  somebody's  name 
when  we  come  to  read  it  over." 

"  '  Dear  J  — ,  K.  says  we  haven't  any  r.'  Then 
I'll  say 'We  feel  very  bad.'" 

"  Yes,  write  that ;  and  put  in  *  All  of  us  do  —  awful 
—  even  Metempsychosis ! '  He'll  know  we  mean  Arty, 
for  that's  what  he  calls  Arty." 

Remus  wrestled  along  until  he  came  to  Metempsy- 
chosis. Then  he  and  Maude  gazed  at  each  other, 
and  without  a  word  he  put  it  M. 

"  Tell  him  '  We  would  love  to  see  you  and  the 
other  relations.'  " 

The  spelling-shirk  was  now  chronic.  When  Remus 
came  to  "  relations  "  he  made  another  phonetic  charac- 
ter, and  his  work  got  pretty  rapidly  down  the  page. 
Maude  would  have  taken  a  turn  at  the  pencil,  but 
Rheem  imagined  himself  the  better  scribe,  and  told 
her  they  better  not  waste  any  writing-paper  on  her 
experiments  ;  for  they  might  soon  be  driven  into  the 
world  without  a  scrap.  Submitting  to  his  decision 
she  contented  herself  with  prompting  him. 

They  poured  forth  their  souls  and  made  a  very 
expressive  letter  in  intention  ;  and  then  they  tried  to 
translate  it  out  of  the  original. 

"  Read  it  over  and  hear  how  it  sounds,  Rheemie." 


Black  Short- Hand.  181 

"'DEAR  J  — :  K.  says  we  haven't  any  r.  We  feel 
very  bad,  all  of  us  do,  awful,  even  M.  We  would 
Love  to  see  you  and  the  other  R.  There  is  some- 
thing wrong  with  our  t.  Somebody  else  has  better 
t.  We  might  get  a  q,  but  there  is  a  young  h.  You 
ought  to  see  our  house.  It  is  r  and  has  A  at  all  the 
windows.  If  we  have  to  leave  it  we  shall  feel  d. 
The  dolls  are  well.  Loo  broke  a  g  and  I  was  glad 
to  have  it  in  my  playhouse.  I  caught  sixteen  fish  the 
last  time  I  went.  We  got  good  bait  in  our  garden. 
Your  loving  C, 

RHEEM  DOGBERRY,  ) 
MAUDE  DOGBERRY.  ) 

"  I  get  all  mixed  up  !  "  cried  Rheem,  puckering 
his  soft  eyebrows  at  his  twin.  "  I  forget  what  some 
o'  the  letters  stand  for  ! " 

"J,  that's  Joslyn;  and  K,  that's  McKay;  and  r 
that's  —  " 

"  We've  got  in  three  r's  !  " 

"  Well,  r  stood  for  relations  once,  I  remember." 

"  We  haven't  any  relations !  Now  that  ain't  right, 
for  we  were  going  to  tell  him  something  about  the 
house.  And  down  here  it  says  :  '  You  ought  to  see 
our  house.  It  is  r.'  Now  that  ain't  relations.  Our 
house  ain't  our  relations  ! " 

"  That  was  repaired ;  and  then  it  has  A,  you  know 
—  awnings ! " 


1 82  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"O,  yes!     *  There   is   something  wrong  with   our 

£   >    » 

"  Title  —  " 

"It  sounds  mighty  queer,  doesn't  it?  *  If  we  have 
to  leave  it  we  shall  feel  d  —  '  dreadfully.  *  Loo  broke 
ag — 'goblet.  I  saw  her  break  it.  But  we've  got 
the  fish  and  the  dolls  mixed.  'Your  loving  cousins.' 
We'll  have  to  study  over  this  and  find  out  how  to 
spell  the  words  before  we  send  it,  or  Cousin  Joslyn 
won't  know  what  we  mean." 

"  We  can  hunt  the  words  in  the  big  dictionary,  I 
tell  you,  Rheemie,"  proposed  this  devoted  sister.  "  I 
can  run  and  bring  it  out  here  now ! " 

"No,"  cried  Remus,  "I'll  put  the  letter  in  my 
jacket  pocket,  and  we'll  hunt  the  words  when  the 
rest  of  them  go  out  to  sit  in  the  Air  Castle  or  play 
croquet." 

"  And  to-morrow  we'll  get  a  stamp  and  envelope 
and  send  our  letter." 

The  business  of  the  studio  was  now  finished,  and 
they  climbed  down  the  ladder  and  went  to  the 
house. 

But  they  never  sent  that  short-hand  letter  to 
Joslyn.  When  Jack  came  to  supper  he  brought  the 
mail,  two  letters  ;  one  addressed  to  Allie,  the  other 
to  Ben.  Allie  broke  her  envelope  first  and  read 
aloud  : 


Black  Short-Hand.  183 

"  MY  CHARMING  COUSIN   AND   THE  WHOLE  BUNCH  : 

I  write  in  a  hurry  to  say  that  we  are  off  to  the  Arkan- 
sas Hot  Springs,  almost  without  warning.  My 
grandmother,  Mrs.  Wiley,  has  been  failing  greatly. 
The  physician  thinks  the  baths  and  the  climate  may 
do  her  good.  Of  course  mother  goes  with  her,  and 
Wiley  (  Mrs.  Wiley's  woman)  with  them.  And  they 
imagine  there  is  something  the  matter  with  me, 
though  I  cannot  be  convinced  of  it  myself ;  but  as 
they  need  me  to  look  after  them,  and  I  haven't  had 
any  vacation  from  the  bank  for  an  age,  I  shall  go  and 
get  as  fat  as  the  heat  will  let  me. 

"  The  house  will  be  shut  up,  probably  for  the 
whole  summer ;  for  if  Mrs.  Wiley  can  bear  it  we 
shall  take  her  from  place  to  place.  We  are  really 
very  much  alarmed  about  her.  She  is  quite  old,  and 
her  life  has  to  be  very  carefully  guarded.  She  was 
delighted  with  that  white  shawl  you  netted  for  her, 
Allie,  and  sends  her  kindest  remembrances,  in  which 
mother  joins.  '  Bless  you,  my  children  ! '  Be  good, 
all  of  you.  I  should  love  to  rush  in  among  you 
before  we  start  ;  but  we  start  to-morrow,  early,  and  I 
have  everything  to  attend  to.  Will  write  again. 
With  loads  of  appreciation, 

"COUSIN    JOSLYN." 

«  Poor  dear  old  lady  !  "  said  Allie. 


'184  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

But  Rome  and  Remus  looked  at  each  other  in  a 
consternation  peculiarly  their  own.  How  should 
they  reach  Cousin  Joslyn  with  a  letter  if  he  was  start- 
ing out  to  caper  all  over  the  country  ? 

Ben  broke  his  envelope,  and  his  troubled  face  over 
his  letter  stopped  any  comment  which  would  have 
been  made  upon  the  first  one. 

"Out  with  it,  Ben  Bolt,"  said  Jack,  stoutly. 
"That's  Mr.  McKay's  office  envelope.  Have  we 
got  to  tumble  out  ?  " 

Ben  handed  the  letter  over  to  Jack,  who  read  it 
with  a  ring  as  if  he  defied  its  terrors. 

Guardian  had  another  message  from  the  party 
claiming  their  lots.  The  ground  was  wanted  to  build 
a  grain  elevator  upon.  The  claim  would  certainly 
be  enforced,  and  the  ground  taken  possession  of  as 
soon  as  the  law  allowed. 

"  A  grain  elevator  !  " 

"  On  our  ground  !  " 

"  Maybe  right  in  front  of  the  house  !  " 

"  What  is  an  elevator  ?  "  cried  Rome,  between  her 
sobs. 

"Why  it's  what  they  go  up  and  down-stairs  in 
when  they  don't  want  to  walk,"  explained  Remus, 
just  as  tearfully,  "  I  saw  one  in  the  hotel  at  Danport." 

"  We   don't  want  any  nelevator ! "  said  Arty,  very 


Black  Short- Hand.  185 

red  and  white  with  his  emotions.     "  We  won't  have 
it !     We'll  tear't  down  !  " 

"  It   isn't   that   kind    of    an    elevator,    Rheemie," 
explained  Ben,  with  a  husk  to   his  voice.     "  It's  a 


WE'LL   TEAR    7T   DOWN  ! 


high  building  to  store  grain  in.     And    there  isn't  any 
use  in  our  making  a  fuss." 

The  girls  tried   to  staunch   their   eyes,  and   Remus 
flung  away  five  or  six  tears  with  his  finger  tips. 


i86 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


"  I  tell  you  what  le's  do,"  said  Jack.  "  We've  got 
our  house  done.  We  enjoyed  fixin'  it,  and  put  our 
money  and  time  on  it.  Now  le's  have  some  good  out 
of  it !  You  never  can  tell  what's  going  to  happen, 
do  your  best.  So  le's  have  one  royal  good  time  to 
remember ! " 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

RED   SHORT-HAND. 

THIS  philosophy  struck   kindred  sparks  in  the 
rest  of  the  family,  and   they  at  once  prepared 
to  have  a  good  time. 

The  supper  dishes  were  soon  on  their  shelves,  and 
the  house  as  trim  as  a  new  schooner.  Then  they 
made  another  procession  to  look  at  all  their  improve- 
ments, and  rejoiced  over  everything,  Jack  declaring 


1 88  We  Dogberry  Bunch. 

he  was  glad  after  all  that  they  had  such  a  nice  look- 
ing place  to  leave. 

"  It's  more  credit  to  us  than  the  old  house,  and 
whoever  lives  in  it  will  feel  obliged  to  us." 

"  It's  a  home"  said  Allie.  "  The  next  people  can't 
help  knowing  that." 

For  fear  this  subject  should  grow  moister,  they  ran 
out  on  the  lawn  and  trooped  up  and  down  over 
every  familiar  spot.  Rome  and  Remus  swarmed  up 
into  the  Air  Castle,  and  Arty  bruised  his  shins  trying 
to  follow.  Loo  put  a  pansy  band  all  around  his  hat. 
Then  they  all  played  croquet,  till  it  grew  so  dark 
the  balls  were  hopelessly  hid  by  the  grass,  and  then 
they  brought  chairs  out,  and  cuddled  in  them  or  on 
the  stoop,  close  together.  Loo  had  some  spice  cook- 
ies in  the  pantry.  She  brought  them  out,  and  they 
munched  and  were  happy.  By  mutual  understand- 
ing they  let  their  future  alone,  and  told  stories,  and 
jokes,  and  rhymes.  A  freight  train  rumbled  past, 
and  they  watched  through  the  trees  the  glare  of  its 
eye,  and  a  solitary  figure  or  two  darting  back  and 
forth  on  it. 

"  No.  8,"  said  Jack,  with  business  address,  lifting 
Arty  up  on  his  knees  to  watch  it.  If  there  was  one 
thing  on  earth  more  attractive  to  Arty  than  locomo- 
tive power,  he  had  not  yet  discovered  it.  He  stood 


Red  Short- Hand.  189 

on  Jack's  legs,  bracing  himself  by  Jack's  scalp,  and 
strained  his  eyes  till  the  freight  was  quite  lost  in 
darkress,  and  even  its  two  ruby  rear  lamps  were 
obscured.  Then  he  slid  to  his  feet,  and  sat  down 
again  on  the  step,  murmuring : 

"  The  Big  Black  Horse  !  " 

"Say  «The  Big  Black  Horse,  Arty ! ' ''  cried 
Rheem. 

"  Can't  say  it." 

"  O  yes,  you  can  !  "  said  Jack.  "  We've  said  it  a 
hundred  times.  Cousin  Joslyn  won't  make  you  any 
more  poetry  if  you  go  and  forget  it." 

Arthur  wriggled  on  the  step  and  professed  himself 
able  to  say  "pieces  "  of  it,  if  Jacky  would  do  it,  too. 
Jacky,  therefore,  darted  off  like  a  mother-bird  luring 
her  young  one  to  fly,  and  Arty  flopped  alongside  as 
well  as  he  could,  very.glib  with  some  of  the  lines  and 
making  a  mere  mumble  of  the  others.  In  this  way 
they  had  really  recited  "The  Big  Black  Horse"  a 
hundred  times,  thereby  greatly  edifying  their  family. 

"  The  Big  Black  Horse  is  my  heart's  delight, 

I  run  to  watch  him  by  day  or  night. 

I  waked  in  the  night  and  I  heard  his  hoofs 

Come  making  thunder  past  walls  and  roofs. 

He  snorted  coals,  and  they  flew  up  higher 

Than  even  the  glare  of  his  eye  of  fire. 

He  panted  and  rushed  and  my  breath  I  hushed  — 


igo  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

How  awful  to  be  by  his  tramping  crushed  !  — 
The  houses  shook  as  his  carts  flew  past, 
All  barred  and  darkened  except  the  last. 
A  rose-red  light  hung  over  its  dash 
Perhaps  so  the  driver  could  see  to  lash 
Any  hangers-on,  who  might  love  to  crash 
Through  dark — through  cities — through  water-course, 
At  the  heels  of  the  glorious 

BIG 
BLACK 
HORSE! 

"The  Big  Black  Horse  wears  a  brazen  bell, 
In  towns  and  at  crossings  he  rings  it  well  — 
*  Get  out  of  my  way,  little  sons  of  men, 
The  Big  Black  Horse  must  go  by  again  I ' 
Burnished  and  clean  is  his  panting  hide; 
You  can  see  a  bright  throb  dart  along  his  side  1 
He  often  draws  carriages,  long  and  fine ; 
So  strong  is  he,  I  have  seen  a  line 
Of  five  or  six  follow  in  his  course, 
lie  can  draw  lots   of  people  —  can  that  black  horse  I 
He  isn't  afraid  of  a  narrow  road  I 
Just  give  him  a  foothold,  he'll  pull  his  load. 
But  pit-falls  have  caught  him  as  fierce  he  strode  ! 
Then  people  have  cried  over  many  a  corse  ! 
But  /  should  cry,  too,  for  the 

BIG 
BLACK 
HORSE  ! 

"  The  Big  Black  Horse  gives  a  ringing  neigh 
When  the  curb  is  put  on  him  his  speed  to  stay. 
His  mane  is  a  lovely,  changeable  roll, 
Gray,  brown,  pearl-color,  or  black  as  coal  1 
He  tosses  it  back  and  it  streams  out  grand, 


Red  Short- Hand. 

You  can  see  it  curl  far  across  the  land. 
And  when  I  am  tired,  and  want  to  go 
To  seek  more  places  than  those  I  know, 
And  to  think  as  fast  as  his  mane  can  flow, 
He  says :  '  Come  on,  I  will  take  you  so  ! ' 
He  drinks  from  a  cistern  built  on  stilts, 
And  the  man  who  feeds  him,  he  almost  wilts  ! 
For  he  is  a  creature  of  fire  and  force  — 
Ah,  how  I  love  him  1  —  that 

BIG 
BLACK 
HORSE  ! " 


After  "The  Big  Black  Horse"  they  proposed  a 
story  —  not  exactly  a  serial,  but  still  a  story,  handed 
from  one  to  another  "  to  be  continued."  This  was  a 
favorite  Dogberry  amusement,  and  often  afforded 
them  a  great  amount  of  fun ;  and  one  imagination 
stimulated  another,  though  each  story-teller  gave  the 
tale  the  twist  of  his  own  peculiar  genius. 

"  You  begin  it,  Jack." 

"  Let  Allie  begin  this  time.  She's  the  oldest. 
And  let's  go  this  time  in  the  order  of  our  ages." 

"Pitch  in,  Sweet  Alice." 

"  *  Pitch  in '  is  slang,  Rheemie." 

"  Well,  then,  walk  up  to  your  crib  !  " 

"  That's  a  great  deal  worse  !  Those  things  are  not 
manly.  They  sound  like  the  Bee  Hive  people." 

"  Well,  you  know  what  I  mean.     Start  the  ball  1 


192  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

Give  her  a  send !  It  won't  come  our  turn  for  ever 
so  long,  Rome.  We  can  be  making  it  up  to  piece 
on." 

"  Start  up,  Allie." 

After  being  exhorted  thus  several  times,  Allie 
started  up  with : 

"  Once  there  was  an  old  woman  who  was  bent  half 
double,  and  she  was  very,  very  old.  She  lived  in  a 
large  city,  in  a  beautiful  house,  and  had  many  people 
to  wait  on  her.  She  had  three  orphan  grand-children 
whom  she  was  educating,  and  they  gave  her  more 
delight  than  anything  else,  when  they  were  good  and 
tried  to  •learn  kind  manners  and  lovely  ways.  The 
eldest  and  youngest  were  boys,  named  John  and 
Jacob,  and  the  second  was  a  girl,  named  Mary." 

(  "  What  ugly  names  !  "  murmured  Rome.  "  When 
it  comes  my  turn,  I'm  going  to  change  them  !  ") 

"John  was  tall  and  studious,  Jacob  was  chubby 
and  playful,  and  Mary  was  very  graceful  and  very 
fond  of  music .  She  would  sit  at  her  piano  hours, 
singing  and  practicing  difficult  studies;  and  it  was 
her  greatest  desire  to  go  abroad  and  study  music 
with  the  foreign  people  who  know  it  so  well.  *  When 
I  am  a  grown  woman,'  she  would  say,  *  if  grandma 
will  let  me,  I  will  get  my  big  brother  to  take  me,  and 
we  will  travel  and  study.  It  would  be  so  lovely,  too, 


Red  Short-Hand. 


193 


to  stay  month 
after  month  in 
Milan  and  learn 
the  Italian 
method.'  Then 
— "  said  Allie, 
whose  forte  was 
not  story-tell- 
ing, wishing  to 
cut  short  her 
introduction  — 
"go  on,  Ben." 

Ben  came  up 
to  the  work  with 
little  relish,  but 
perfect  good- 
nature,  and  rub- 
bed his  temples 
with  his  knuck- 
les to  stir  up  his 
brain. 

"O,  yes! 
Well,  one  day 
the  good  o  1  d 
gr  a  n  d  m  o  t  h  er 
was  taken  very 
ill  and  died. 


194  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

which  straightened  her  out,  you  know.  The  three 
children  felt  very  badly  —  " 

(  "  That's  just  as  mean  as  mean  can  be  !  "  cried 
Rome.  "  I  was  going  to  have  her  take  them  to  a  beau- 
tiful ride  and  make  a  picnic  for  them.  But  then  — 
I  can  make  her  come  alive  again  !  " 

"  Keep  still,  Rome,"  urged  her  twin.) 

"They  felt  very  badly,"  continued  Ben,  "and 
they  felt  worse,  when  the  Grossest  and  sharpest  rela- 
tion they  had  in  the  world  came  to  live  with  them. 
This  aunt  made  Johnny  take  his  drawings  and  his 
wood-carving  out  of  his  own  room  into  the  attic, 
where  he  had  no  room  at  all  among  the  old  lumber. 
She  would  not  allow  Mary  to  practice  because  the 
piano  hurt  her  head,  and  little  Jacob  soon  became 
lean  because  she  dieted  him  so  strictly.  But  John 
studied  away,  for  he  wanted  to  become  a  first-class 
architect  and  builder ;  and  he  often  said  to  himself  : 
'  When  I  am  a  man,  and  am  making  money  and  get- 
ting a  fine  reputation,  I  will  take  my  brother  and  sis- 
ter to  live  with  me  and  leave  Aunt  Nettle  to  com- 
plain herself  to  a  shadow.  I'll  build  a  handsome 
house  of  rough  gray  stone.  No  basement.  Six  rooms 
on  the  ground  floor,  but  only  three  on  the  upper  floor 
besides  the  passage.  One  for  Mary's  music-room, 


Red  Short- Hand.  195 

one  for  Jacob's  play-room,  and  one  for  my  work- 
room/ Go  ahead,  Jack." 

"  He  didn't  build  his  house  anywhere  except  in  his 
head,  did  he  ?  Well,  one  day  John  got  very  mad, 
and  concluded  he  wouldn't  stand  it  any  longer,  so  he 
took  his  sister  by  the  hand  and  Jacob  under  his  arm 
and  started  for  the  train.  He  left  them  on  the  depot 
platform  and  went  in  to  buy  tickets,  and  when  he 
came  out  his  brother  and  sister  were  gone,  so  he  was 
obliged  to  start  out  on  his  travels  by  himself.  He 
felt  very  badly,  and  concluded  to  go  to  California  to 
make  a  fortune,  after  which  he  could  hunt  the  others 
up  and  build  that  house  for  them.  But  when  he  got 
to  California  he  found  that  the  fortunes  had  all  been 
made  and  a  good  many  of  them  lost,  and  he  jumped 
on  a  ship  to  go  to  China,  but  the  ship  was  wrecked 
on  one  of  the  Cannibal  Islands,  which  the  mission- 
aries have  never  reached.  The  cannibals  killed  and 
cooked  all  the  fat  passengers,  but  put  John  in  a  coop 
to  feed,  and  he  thanked  his  aunt  whose  worrying  had 
kept  him  thin.  While  the  cannibals  were  trying  to 
put  flesh  on  him,  his  brother  and  sister  were  in  a 
strange  city,  for  they  had  gone  off  on  the  wrong  train, 
and  their  aunt  was  hunting  for  them  all  ;  go  on,  Loo." 

"My  gracious  !  John  in  the  Cannibal  Islands,  and 


196  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

his  brother  and  sister  away  off  in  a  city  the  other  side 
of  the  world.     Well,  the  cannibals  ate  him  up  —  " 

("  No  —  o  "  cried  the  twins.) 

— "  And  Mary  found  a  place  to  work,  and  kept 
her  younger  brother  with  her  and  sent  him  to  school. 
At  first  she  made  dreadful  bread  and  forgot  to  put 
the  sugar  in  her  cookies,  and  got  scolded.  And 
Jacob  tore  his  clothes,  and  she  never  could  keep  his 
heels  in  ;  but  it  was  so  nice  to  try  and  keep  people 
comfortable,  that  after  awhile  she  got  on  very  well, 
though  she  often  sighed  to  see  her  brother  that  the 
cannibals  had  eaten — but  she  didn't  know  that.  I 
don't  believe  I  can  think  of  anything  now.  Oh,  yes : 
one  day  her  aunt  happened  to  come  to  visit  at  the 
very  house  where  Mary  was,  and  as  soon  as  she  saw 
her,  she  took  Mary  and  Jacob  by  the  ears  and  led 
them  off  home  !  " 

"Ho,  pshaw!"  said  Rheem,  taking  up  the  thread, 
discontentedly.  "  Le's  see.  One  night  John  woke 
up-" 

"  In  the  cannibals  ?  " 

"  No  !  he  didn't  get  eaten  ;  that  was  a  make-believe, 
like  they  have  in  stories :  they  had  him  just  cooked 
ready  —  I  mean  just  ready  to  cook  —  when  something 
scared  them,  and  they  put  him  up  again.  And  one 
night  he  waked  up  while  they  were  all  asleep,  and 


Red  Short- Hand.  197 

took  a  boat  and  slipped  off.  He  rowed  back  to  the 
town  he  started  from,  and  looked  all  over  the  depot 
for  his  brother  and  sister,  and  his  aunt  happened  to 
get  off  the  train  with  them  then,  so  he  found  them, 
and  she  found  him  and  took  him  home  and  shut  him 
in  the  garret.  He  concluded  he  would  fix  up  the 
garret  and  live  there ;  so  he  made  a  whittling  place 
in  one  corner  and  built  a  play-house  for  his  sister.  I 
thought  of  a  lot  more,  but  I've  forgot  it! " 

"  And  one  day  his  grandma  came  up-stairs,"  began 
Rome  eagerly,  "  and  told  the  children  to  come  down  \ 
their  aunt  was  gone  home." 

"  But  the  grandma  was  dead  !  " 

"  Oh,  that  was  just  a  make-believe,  like  they  print 
in  stories.  So  they  came  down,  and  she  had  them 
all  dressed  up  in  their  pretty  clothes,  and  took  a 
lovely  basket  of  lunch  and  called  the  carriage,  and 
they  all  started  off  for  a  picnic.  They  came  to  green 
woods  where  the  grass  was  soft  and  thick  —  " 

("  What  a  refreshing  sight  to  John  after  the  Canni- 
bal Islands  !") 

"  And  Clarence — his  name  wasn't  'John'  a  bit! 
— said,  *O  grandma,  I  will  always  be  good  hereafter!' 
And  the  others  said  they  would.  And  they  had  an 
elegant  time.  Go  on,  Arty.'  " 

"An'    'en,"    said    Arty,    after    hanging    back    a 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


moment,  "they  got 
on  train,  and  they 
rode  and  they  went 
and  they  rode  and 
they  went,  and  it 
sounded  'cling! 
cling  !  cling ! '  an' 
they  never  got  off 
any  more  at  all  !  " 

"So  John,  and 
Jacob  and  Mary  are 
still  moving!" 
laughed  Alice. 
"  Well,  children,  we 
must  move  too. 
It's  time  to  go  to 
bed." 

Still  they  lingered 
a  little  while,  lapsing 
into  silence.  One 
of  them  presently 


Red  Short- Hand.  199 

struck  up  the  "  Home  of  the  Soul."  Amuse  them- 
selves as  they  might  their  thoughts  came  back  to 
home  ;  they  sung  it  heartily.  And  before  separating 
for  the  night  they  were  moved  by  an  unusual  im- 
pulse :  they  kissed  each  other  all  round,  and  shook 
hands,  half  laughing  and  merry,  but  still  with  tears 
in  their  eyes. 

So,  having  had  one  more  good  time  they  went  to 
bed  and  to  sleep.  Arty  still  slept  in  his  long  crib  in 
the  girls'  room.  Maude,  also,  had  a  small  bed  to 
herself. 

In  the  night  Allie  dreamed  she  was  choking. 
Some  tall  being  with  wings,  or  a  mass  of  heavy 
drapery,  settled  down  on  her  neck  and  began  to  press 
her  breath  out.  She  struggled  and  woke  to  find  her 
nightmare  continuing.  She  was  smothering  ;  the  room 
was  full  of  smoke.  She  sat  up  dazed  and  unable  to 
think.  The  open  window  was  obscured,  though  when 
they  went  to  bed  there  was  moonlight.  Color  now 
came  out  in  the  smoke.  It  bloomed  suddenly,  and  a 
fearful  roaring  and  crackling  filled  the  whole  house. 

She  was  helpless  and  speechless  !  It  seemed  ages 
before  she  could  raise  her  hand  and  lay  it  on  Loo. 
Her  voice  sounded  down  in  her  chest  and  horribly 
hoarse  and  strange  when  she  could  utter : 

"  Loo,  the  house  is  on  fire  !  " 


2oo  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

Loo  sat  bolt  upright,  and  said,  "  What  is  it  ? " 
Then  the  truth  bursting  upon  her,  she  uttered 
piercing  screams  and  sprang  to  the  floor  ;  it  crackled 
beneath  her  feet.  She  pulled  at  Maude,  and  snatch- 
ing Arthur  up  ran  to  the  door  with  him  in  her  arms. 
At  the  opening  of  the  door,  jets  of  fire  burst  through 
their  carpet,  swept  up  the  window-casings  and  ate  up 
the  light  curtains  like  a  flash. 

"  Maudie,"  said  Alice,  hoarsely,  snatching  the  child, 
and  wrapping  the  bed-spread  around  her  and  dragging 
her  shoes  on,  "run — run  for  your  life,  while  I  wake 
the  boys ! "  She  took  the  water-pitcher  and  dashed 
water  on  the  child's  head  as  she  started,  and  rushed 
out  herself,  still  carrying  it  in  one  hand,  panic-stricken. 
The  boys'  room  was  near  the  head  of  the  stairs, 
There  were  but  two  rooms  and  one  long,  narrow  hall 
on  the  second  floor.  The  hall  was  now  a  furnace. 
Alice  ran,  covering  her  head  and  face,  and  stormed 
at  the  boys'  door.  The  floor  was  parching  her  tender 
feet.  She  poured  out  the  water  on  them  and  dashed 
the  pitcher  against  the  door.  Ben's  and  Jack's  voices 
were  in  clamor.  They  dashed  out,  dragging  Rheem 
with  them  and  shouting  "  The  girls ! " 
"  Girls  !  girls  !  The  house  is  a- fire !  " 
"  They're  all  out,  boyb  !  Run !  run !  " 
"Come  on,  Allie  — " 


Red  Short- Hand.  201 

Their  voices  all  died  in  a  choking  gurgle.  Creep- 
ing close  to  the  ground  they  got  down  the  stilling 
stairway.  The  closet  under  it  was  roaring  like  a 
furnace.  But  they  all  reached  air  and  ran  into  the 
dewy  grass.  The  roof  was  one  mighty  blaze.  Dis- 
tant cries  were  beginning  to  ring  through  the  village 
of  "  Fire  !  fire  !  "  Men  with  pails  came  running  and 
scaling  the  fences ;  but  the  well  was  in  the  kitchen. 
There  were  no  hose,  no  fire-engines,  and  sheets  of 
flame  were  waving  out  of  the  very  windows. 

"  Where's  Arty  ? "  was  Jack's  exqlamation. 

"Loo  brought  him  out  in  her  arms,"  cried  Alice. 
"  There  are  Maude  and  Rheem,  and  there's  Loo  1 

"  The  barn's  burnt !  "  exclaimed  Ben  in  consterna- 
tion, watching  the  falling  timbers  of  that  little  pile 
"  that  must  have  set  fire  to  the  house." 

" Loo,  where's  Arty  ?"  cried  Jack,  again. 

"  Why,  he's  right  here  by  me.  No,  he  isn't.  Arty  1 
where  is  he  ?  I  just  put  him  down.  He's  gone  to 
Allie.  Arty!" 

Jack  darted  to  Allie,  and  screamed  in  her  ear 
"  Do  you  know  where  Arty  is  ?  " 

Allie  screamed  back  over  the  terrible  roar  and 
crackle,  "  He's  safe  —  tie's  with  Loo,  I  told  you  !  " 

"He  isn't!     I  bet  he's  left  in  the  house! 

"  Loo  brought  him  down  first  one,  Jack  ! :> 


202  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

Jack,  panic-struck  for  his  pet  brother,  dashed  into 
the  house  and  made  for  the  stairs.  He  had  on  his 
trousers  and  boots,  but  nothing  to  protect  his  head; 
and  Allie  who  knew  his  desperate  courage,  was  wild 
with  despair.  She  felt  fully  assured  that  Arthur  was 
safe,  but  nothing  could  convince  Jack  of  that  at  this 
moment.  She  seized  one  of  the  men  by  the  arm  and 
pointed  after  her  brother,  screaming  that  he  was 
going  up-stairs  again  —  he  would  be  burned  to  death  ! 
The  man  shouted  to  Jack,  and  ran  up  and  down 
shouting  to  others  —  and  the  roof  fell  in.. 

Allie  ran.  She  flew  to  the  farthest  part  of  the 
lawn,  and  fell  on  her  face  in  the  wet  grass,  shaking 
with  paroxysms  of  sobs  and  cries.  Jack  was  dead ! 
Dear  Jack  was  killed  !  How  could  she  ever  look  up 
again  !  An  unsteady  rustle  through  the  sweet  clover, 
a  whispering  beside  her,  and  a  hand  on  her  neck 
made  her  conscious  that  Arty  was  beside  her,  but 
she  hardly  noticed  him.  Loo  and  the  twins  were 
screaming  near  the  falling  house,  and  she  heard  Ben's 
hoarse,  despairing  cry  of  "Jack!  Jack!" 

O  Jack,  Jack,  the  dearest,  the  manliest  boy !  How 
could  they  live  with  Jack  gone  !  The  timbers  gave 
another  crash,  and  sparks  streamed  away  up  to  the 
zenith. 

Arty  rustled  off  again,  howling  with  distress  and 


Red  Short- Hand.  203 

terror.  The  child  was  in  such  a  fright  that  he  had 
hidden  himself.  The  glare  showed  him  Loo,  hanging 
with  her  face  down  on  her  arm  against  a  tree,  and 
the  twins  crying  in  their  night-clothes  beside  her. 
He  toddled  to  them,  and  just  then  Ben  and  two  of 
the  men  came  carrying  something  between  them. 

"  The  jump  stunned  him,"  said  John  White. 

"Water  —  quick!"  cried  Mr.  Thomas. 

"  O  Jacky,"  cried  Arty,  "what's  the  matter,  Jacky  ?  " 
He  fell  down  at  Jack's  feet  and  hugged  his  legs 
with  loud  lamentations. 

The  rest  of  the  family  were  around  him  in  an 
instant,  but  even  in  the  strong  glare  of  the  fire  they 
could  not  recognize  him.  His  hair  was  burnt  off,  his 
face  blistered  as  if  it  were  half  roasted  —  no  eye 
lashes,  no  eyebrows  left. 

Dr.  Darling  knelt  down  by  him.  Allie  took  his 
head  on  her  shoulder.  The  doctor  gave  him  restora- 
tives, and  covered  him  with  wet  cloths.  "  Afraid  he's 
swallowed  fire,"  said  he,  and  immediately  made  him 
swallow  something  else. 

"  He  jumped  out  o'  the  back  window,"  said  Mr. 
Thomas,  with  a  melancholy  shake.  "  The  roof  nigh 
about  caught  him,  but  I  guess  he  was  pretty  well 
charred,  anyhow." 

One  side  of  the  house  swayed  and  fell  in,  sending 


204 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


up  another  long  stream  of  sparkles.  Nobody  noticed 
it.  The  Bunch's  fate  of  homelessness  was  quickly 
written  out — written  in  flame-red  short-hand.  But 
they  paid  no  attention  to  that :  they  stood  around  Jack. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

TRIBULATION. 

WHEN    Jack   raised    his    puffed   eyelids   and 
blinked  at  his  brethren  and  sisters,  the  first 
thing  his  groping  hand  touched  was  Arty's  head. 
"  Arty  !  "  he  gurgled. 
"  Jacky  !  "  howled  Arty. 

"  I  thought  you  were  in  the  fire  !  "  said  Jack,  with 
a  freer  breath.  Arty  would  have  thrown  himself  on 
Jack's  neck,  but  was  held  back.  Jack,  however, 
reached  after  him. 

205 


2o6  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"Where  is  he?  I  heard  him  speak,  but  I  can't 
see  him.  I  guess  something's  the  matter  with  my 
eyes  !  "  said  Jack,  with  a  short  chuckle. 

"  Something's  the  matter  with  your  whole  face  and 
head,"  wailed  Loo,  the  twins  joining  her  in  a  chorus 
of  "  ah  —  hoo  —  hoo  !  "  "  You've  got  all  your  hair 
burnt  off,  and  you're  blistered  to  a  crisp  !  " 

"You  dear  boy,"  murmured  Allie,  "  why  did  you 
run  in  the  house  again  when  I  told  you  Arty  was 
safe  ?  " 

"  Don't  know,"  said  Jack,  grinning  with  agony. 
"To  enjoy  it  as  long  as  possible,  I  guess.  Is  it 
burnt  down  ?  " 

"  Can't  you  see  it's  all  one  heap  of  flames,  and 
the  walls  all  fallen  in  but  that  one  on  the  north 
side  ?  " 

"  I  can't  see  anything.  Am  I  blind,  doctor  ? " 
asked  Jack,  feeling  the  doctor's  whiskers  and  specta- 
cles. 

"  We'll  try  to  keep  you  so  for  awhile,"  replied  Dr. 
Darling,  fastening  bandages  on  his  head,  crosswise 
and  up  and  down,  until  his  nose  and  mouth  were  the 
only  samples  of  it  visible.  Mrs.  Darling,  who  had 
brought  the  bandages,  stood  near  by,  comforting 
Rome  and  Remus.  Rome  still  trailed  the  counter- 
pane like  an  Indian  princess.  Rheem  had  on  his 


Tribulation .  207 

hat  and  boots  and  a  long  night  shirt.  Ben  was 
nearly  dressed ;  but  Allie  did  not  know  how  scantily 
she  was  attired  until  a  neighbor  wrapped  her  in  a 
long  shawl.  And  as  for  Loo,  she  stood  weeping  and 
trembling  in  somebody's  coat. 

"  You  can  walk,  now,  can't  you,  Jack,  boy  ? " 
asked  the  doctor. 

Of  course  he  could.  He  reached  out  and  they 
lifted  him  up.  Raising  his  boots  high  in  the  air  and 
plunging  dizzily  he  showed  them  how  well  he  could 
walk. 

"  Still,  you  won't  mind  my  keeping  one  arm  around 
you,  will  you,  deary  ?  "  said  Alice. 

The  doctor  took  his  arm  on  the  other  side,  and 
Arty  towed  him  in  front  by  one  of  his  broken  sus- 
penders. 

"  We'll  take  him  right  over  to  our  house,"  said  the 
doctor,  "  and  Arty  and  you  must  come  with  him." 

"  Loo  and  Ben  will  go  to  my  house,"  said  Mother 
Thomas,  grabbing  them  both  with  determined  hands. 
"  Poor  young  ones,  how  you  look  !  Though,  for  that 
matter,  I  haven't  got  on  much  more  myself  !  " 

"I'll  take  these  chickens,"  said  John  White,  ap- 
propriating Rome  and  Remus.  "  Bub's  got  his 
boots  on,  and  I'll  carry  the  girl." 

"  But   I  want   to  see  how  Jack  is  all  the  time," 


208  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

wailed  Maude,  hanging  to  one  of  John's  big  fingers. 

"  O,  you  may  come  and  see  him  all  day  to-morrow, 
after  Priscilla  gets  a  stitch  of  clothes  on  you." 

"  Children,"  called  Jack,  painfully,  to  all  the  sepa- 
rating Bunch,  "  we  had  one  more  good  time,  didn't 
we  ?  But  we've  given  up  the  house  sooner  than  we 
expected  to !  " 

Mr.  Thomas  was  heard  growling  at  a  little  dis- 
tance what  a  shame  it  was  that  orphan  children 
should  be  used  so,  and  if  there  was  law  worth  call- 
ing law  it  would  gn  e  them  their  lots,  anyhow. 

"  They  needn't  have  given  possession  till  fall, 
though,  if  the  worst  come  to  worst,"  said  White. 

"  O,  let  'em  go  ahead  with  their  elevator,  now," 
laughed  Jack,  who  had  to  be  very  merry  and  chuckle 
a  great  deal  to  keep  from  groaning. 

"  Isn't  this  yours  ?  "  asked  a  boy,  thrusting  some- 
thing into  Alice's  hand  as  she  moved  off  with  Jack. 
It  was  her  watch  and  chain.  She  always  slept  with 
it  under  her  pillow,  and  instinctively  grasped  it  in 
one  hand  as  soon  as  she  waked  Loo.  It  had  fallen 
in  the  grass  after  she  got  outside. 

"Thank  you,  .dear.  Yes,  it's  mine.  Here's  my 
watch,  Jack.  That's  saved." 

"Good!"  said  Jack.  "Doesn't  it  seem  funny, 
though,  that  the  band  of  Indian  red  (oo-oo ! ),  and 


Tribulation.  209 

the  china  closet,  and  the  new  bed-room  furniture 
(oo-oo  !  ),  and  all  our  duds,  and  the  swings  and  the 
books  aren't  anywhere  at  all  ?  " 

"  Don't  cry,"  comforted  John  White,  picking  up 
Maude  and  her  trail.  "  I'll  get  ye  home  to  Priscilla, 
presently,  and  then  you  must  go  to  bed  and  stop 
chattering  your  teeth  and  shaking." 

"  Helen  and  Susan  are  burnt,  too !  "  shuddered 
Maude.  "Everything  is  burnt  up.  I  didn't  know 
last  night  that  I'd  never  see  them  again  !  " 

"  I  wonder  what  started  the  fire ! "  speculated 
John,  as  he  stretched  long  steps  over  the  ground. 

"  I  had  some  matches  in  the  stable.  Six,  I  guess," 
confessed  Rheem. 

"  You  young  scamp,  did  you  ?  " 

"  But  we  never  struck  any  !  " 

"You  dropped  them  around,  and  something 
set  them  off.  Maybe  you  stepped  on  'em  yourself 
and  lighted  'em,  and  never  noticed  it." 

"  And  the  root  chair,"  Rome  added  to  her  inven- 
tory, "  and  the  table  and  cupboard  !  And  I  haven't 
any  dolls  ! " 

The  dismal  little  pair  before  the  end  of  another 
half  hour  were  put  to  bed  by  Priscilla,  and  about 
morning  they  fell  asleep. 

It  was    ten  o'clock    when   Rome    woke   from    her 


210  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

sleep  of  nervous  exhaustion.  She  was  in  one  of 
Priscilla's  spare  bed-rooms,  on  a  great  feather-bed, 
which  had  the  peculiar  smell  of  all  its  class  to  such  a 
degree,  that  the  faint  sweet  scent  of  the  rose-em- 
balmed sheets  could  not  take  it  away.  The  wall  was 
covered  with  a  greenish  paper,  its  ornament  being  a 
vine,  the  leaf  whereof  was  the  size  of  a  sunflower, 
but  was  evidently  a  pumpkin  leaf.  And  some  of 
Priscilla's  best  dresses  hung  from  nails  above  the 
head  of  the  bed.  The  room  was  so  small  that1 
Maude  felt  squeezed  in  it.  A  flowering  shrub  shaded 
the  window,  and  the  low  reaching  arms  of  the  apple 
trees  thrust  themselves  against  the  panes.  There 
was  a  bowl  and  pitcher  on  the  wash-stand,  but  when 
Rome  slid  to  the  floor  she  found  no  water  in  them. 
Neither  had  she  any  garments  with  which  to  make 
her  toilet.  She  slipped  out  barefoot  and  in  her 
nightgown  into  the  keeping-room. 

Priscilla  was  a  Yankee  woman,  and  all  the  New 
England  ways  of  a  past  generation  which  she  learned 
from  her  mother  and  grandmother  were  carefully  and 
thriftily  preserved  in  her  clean  shaded  house.  In 
this  room  there  was  a  fire-place,  carefully  scoured, 
and  black  and  gilt  chairs,  with  roses  on  their  straight 
backs,  placed  in  lines  along  the  wall. 

In  one  corner  stood  a  huge  clock,  with  a  case  big 


Tribulation. 


211 


"SETH    THOMAS." 


enough  to  hide 
two  or  three 
children  in, 
weights  like 
sledges,  and 
iron  hands. 
The  Arabic  fig- 
ures made  a  cir- 
cle on  its  yellow 
face,  and  O, 
how  slow  it 
talked ! 

"Tick"— a 
time  for  due  de- 
liberation, and 
then,  forcibly  — 
"tock!"  No 
hurry.  None 
of  the  clicketty- 
clack  of  modern 
clocks.  It 
looked  like  a  gi- 
ant.  Maude 
considered  how 
fla  t  it  could 
crush  her  by 
d  ropping  a 


212  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

weight  upon  her,  and  what  a  real  iron  rod  one  of  its 
iron  hands  could  prove.  All  of  a  sudden  it  began 
to  rattle  as  if  it  would  certainly  choke  to  death,  and 
never  catch  its  breath  again  while  time  lasted,  and 
then  it  struck!  —  struck?  It  banged!  It  beat  ten 
awful  strokes  into  her  head,  and  she  jumped  from  the 
floor  at  every  stroke,  her  black-lashed  eyes  blinking 
and  her  blonde  head  dodging.  And  then  the  old 
monster  settled  down  as  if  nothing  had  happened, 
or  ever  would  happen  again,  and  said  :  "Tick  " — de- 
liberation —  "  tock  !  "  and  kept  on  saying  it  with  in- 
creasing solemnity. 

O,  what  a  clock !  She  saw  the  name  "  Seth 
Thomas  "  printed  on  its  face,  and  it  became  an  ob- 
ject of  greater  fear  on  account  of  having  a  name. 
For,  of  course,  Seth  Thomas  was  the  clock's  name, 
or  why  should  it  be  printed  there.  The  name 
sounded  strong  when  she  timidly  tried  it  on  her  ears, 
and  it  sounded  unbending.  Besides  Seth  Thomas, 
there  were  in  this  impressive  room  two  pots  of  paper 
roses,  one  on  each  corner  of  the  mantel,  and  two  small 
silhouette  pictures  on  the  wall,  of  a  sharp-nosed  lady 
in  a  cap  and  a  turn-up  nosed  gentleman  with  a  high 
shirt  collar,  and  a  long  settee  without  any  rockers. 

Maude  was  so  afraid  Seth  Thomas  might  make 
some  other  demonstration,  even  more  frightful  than 


Tribulation.  2x3 

his  choking,  that,  clad  as  she  was,  she  dared  not  lin- 
ger here,  but  ventured  to  open  the  door  into  the 
dining-room.  Through  this  she  saw  Rheem  washing 
potatoes  out  on  a  porch,  in  a  pair  of  Mr.  White's 
trousers  hanging  to  his  toes,  though  they  were  rolled 
up  until  they  were  as  bunchy  as  a  Turk's,  and  in  one 
of  Mr.  White's  linen  coats  which  swept  the  ground. 

"  Here  you  are !  "  said  Priscilla,  briskly,  coming 
out  of  the  spring-room  with  her  hands  full  of  fruit 
for  pies.  "  Go  into  the  spring-room  and  wash,  and 
I'll  bring  you  some  clothes." 

Maude  patted  across  the  floor,  and  found  towels 
and  abundant  water,  and  peppermint  stalks  in  the 
water,  which  gave  it  extra  virtue  in  her  eyes.  The 
destitute  child  took  her  bath,  and  dressed  her  tan- 
gled hair  with  a  comb  which  her  hostess  provided. 
She  had  shoes,  for  Allie  put  them  on  her  at  the  last 
moment  before  they  ran  from  the  burning  building. 
Priscilla  came  in  presently  with  an  overskirt  of  her 
own,  and  a  long  calico  sacque  which  made  the  child 
look  like  a  dwarf  woman,  all  waist  and  arms. 

"  There's  your  breakfast,"  said  Mrs.  White,  point- 
ing to  the  warming  oven ;  and  in  it  Maude  found 
some  lovely  toast  and  broiled  chicken.  She  also  had 
a  mug  of  milk  and  a  sweet  roll.  It  was  a  breakfast 
to  make  an  orphan  forget  her  troubles.  After  eating 


214  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

it  she  went  and  sat  down  by  Rheem.  He  had  his 
potatoes  washed.  These  he  carried  to  Priscilla,  who 
was  in  the  full  tide  of  putting  on  the  dinner  to  cook, 
and  then  he  sat  down  to  take  counsel  with  his  twin. 

"Rheem,"  she  exclaimed,  "  le's  start  right  straight 
off  to  see  how  Jack  is  !  " 

He  glanced  down  at  his  apparel  and  said,  reluc- 
tantly : 

"  Don't  you  think  we  better  wait  till  about  dusk  ?  " 

"  O,  no  !     What  if  Jack  was  dead  !  "• 

"Jack  won't  die.  He  and  Ben  got  their  clothes 
on.  I  wish  I'd  got  mine  on." 

"Rheemie,  what  we  going  to  do  for  clothes  to 
wear?" 

"  1  guess  we  better  go  to  work  and  earn  some, 
right  off." 

"  But  we  can't  work  in  borrowed  things." 

"  Maybe  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  would  fix  some 
things  for  us,  and  let  us  pay  for  them  working  after- 
wards." 

"And  never  go  to  school  any  more  ?  And  ne'er 
see  Ben  and  Allie  and  Jack  and  Arty  and  Loo  ? " 

"  Na  —  w  !  Just  till  we  can  get  something  to  wear. 
Then  Mr.  McKay  will  tell  us  what  we  must  all  do. 
I'm  going  to  ask  Mr.  White  to  hire  me  as  soon  as  he 
comes  in  from  work." 


Tribulation.  215 

Rome  endorsed  her  twin's  plans  as  she  usually 
did.  He  followed  the  fieldward  road  to  the  men, 
and  she  turned  all  her  energies  to  assisting  Mrs. 
White.  She  laid  the  table  and  did  many  little  er- 
rands. I  have  said  Priscilla  was  not  as  fond  of  chil- 
dren as  her  husband.  She  was  a  taciturn  woman, 
kind  mainly,  but  not  winning.  She  scarcely  spoke 
to  Maude  all  the  morning,  although  she  felt  great 
compassion  for  the  child.  Her  mind  was  taken  up 
with  her  work.  She  was  planning  ahead  the  churn- 
ing, the  preserving,  the  baking. 

At  half-past  eleven,  sharp,  Maude  was  allowed  to 
ring  the  iron  bell  hanging  on  a  forked  post  in  the 
back  yard ;  and,  in  prompt  response  to  it,  the  men 
and  horses  trooped  into  the  barn-yard.  By  that  time 
Rome  was  really  tired.  She  had  been  so  anxious  to 
please,  and  taken  so  many  unnecessary  journeys,  and 
stood  so  much  on  her  feet,  in  dread  of  Priscilla's 
disapproval  if  she  sat  down,  that  she  was  quite  tired. 
At  table,  among  the  jolly  and  voracious  farm  hands, 
Remus  broached  his  proposition  to  work  for  board 
and  clothes,  and  John  laughed  heartily  and  patted 
him  on  the  back. 

"We'll  see  about  that,"  said  he.  "This  afternoon 
I  am  going  to  drive  into  town.  You  and  sis  can 
go  along  and  take  a  look  at  the  rest  of  them." 


216  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

This  the  two  children  gladly  did.  Maude's  cos- 
tume was  heightened  by  a  grave  black  straw  hat  of 
Priscilla's,  entirely  too  large  for  her.  But  everybody 
was  so  compassionate  over  the  burnt-out  Bunch  that 
she  found  her  attire  only  heightened  the  interest  of 
her  position. 

Jack  said  he  was  doing  royally ;  but  his  blistered 
face  was  terrible,  and  his  eyes  had  been  dressed  and 
bandaged  again.  Allie  had  been  in  the  school-room, 
Arty  with  her.  To  lose  a  day  was  to  lose  some  frac- 
tion of  her  salary,  and  she  dared  lose  nothing.  She 
looked  very  well  in  Mother  Darling's  clothes.  Much 
better  than  Loo  in  Mother  Thomas' ;  for,  Mother 
Thomas  being  portly  and  Loo  very  slight,  she  was 
obliged  to  overlap  and  girdle  in,  and  still  go  about 
looking  quite  like  a  timid  giraffe  in  an  elephant  skin. 
Ben  had  also  been  at  work,  but  the  Bunch  now  con- 
vened for  council.  Mother  Darling's  babies  (she 
had  babies  in  every  stage  of  infancy)  rolled  about 
among  them,  and  crowed  or  squalled  or  uttered  irre- 
sistible fragments  of  speech.  Mother  Darling  her- 
self was  even  more  charming  than  when  surrounded 
only  by  her  own  army.  She  winnowed  the  babies 
out  and  kindly  left  the  children  to  talk  by  them- 
selves. Some  of  the  older  babies  picked  up  some  of 
the  younger  ones,  and  struggled  along  like  cats  car- 


Tribulation .  217 

rying  kittens.  All  of  them  were  chubby,  and  all  in 
miraculously-kept  fresh  white  clothes. 

The  dazed  Bunch,  huddling  up  to  Jack's  settee, 
didn't  know  what  to  do. 

"  We  can't  stay  as  we  are  another  day,"  said  Ben. 
"  I  must  rent  a  house  and  put  you  into  it." 

"  I  wonder  if  Mr.  Joyce  will  give  anybody  else  my 
place  ?  "  hinted  Jack,  anxiously. 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  dress,"  murmured  Rome,  feeling 
a  vague  dread  of  Mrs.  White's  personality  envelop- 
ing her  within  that  awful  basque  and  overskirt. 

They  were  all  unusually  still  and  got  hold  of  each 
other's  hands.  It  was  almost  a  Quaker  meeting, 
after  all.  Off  their  own  domains,  uprooted  and 
flung  one  side  like  weeds,  the  Dogberrys  were  some- 
what wilted. 

When  they  separated  again  —  after  one  of  Mother 
Darling's  exquisite  teas,  which  they  tasted  sparingly  ; 
for  the  former  young  householders  were  feeling  them- 
selves a  burden  on  the  community — it  was  agreed 
that  Ben  should  summon  them  to  their  next  meeting 
as  soon  as  anything  definite  was  decided  upon. 

Rome  and  Remus  went  home  with  Mr.  White,  and 
both  of  them  with  lumps  in  their  throat.  It  seemed 
ages  ago  that  their  house  was  burnt.  Everybody  had 
got  used  to  it.  They  felt  lost  in  a  boundless  sea  of 


218  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

homelessness.  They  missed  the  cheerful  stir  of 
home  when  John  set  them  down  in  the  shady  or- 
chard before  driving  into  the  barnyard.  Frogs  were 
uttering  lonesome  cries,  and  all  the  summer  insects, 
from  the  shrill  cicada  to  the  musquito,  filled  the  air 
with  minor  chords.  To  crown  all,  a  whippoorwill  sat 
in  the  orchard  and  jerked  out  his  doleful  exhortation, 
until  Maude's  heart  swelled  to  a  mountain  of  heavy 
throbbing  flesh.  Priscilla  had  all  her  work  done ; 
even  the  milking  pails  washed  and  turned  upside 
down  on  the  garden  palings.  She  sat  on  the  back 
porch  busily  stoning  fruit  for  the  next  day's  canning. 
Her  impassive  features  looked  so  stolid  that  Rome 
sat  down  very  meek  and  quiet  on  the  lowest  step, 
and  Rheem  was  still  and  meditative  one  or  two  steps 
above  her.  They  felt  quite  burnt  out  and  bereft  of 
every  tie  on  earth.  Ah,  the  songs,  the  scamperings, 
the  cheer  of  Dogbenydom  ! 

"  Le's  play  « Hi  tally  O,'  "  said  Remus,  sturdily. 
And  then  he  remembered  that  two  would  make  a 
scanty  fox  hunt. 

"  Have  you  a  croquet  set,  Mrs.  White  ? "  he 
asked. 

"  No.     We  don't  have  time  for  such  nonsense." 

This  was  a  witherer.  Were  all  royal  good  times 
nonsense  ? 


Tribulation.  219 

"  I  believe  I'll  go  to  the  barn,"  said  Remus.  His 
twin  skipped  up  and  patted  along  beside  him.  They 
were  humbled  and  aimless,  and  snubbed  by  fate  and 
depressed.  When  they  reached  the  barn  John  was 
gone  to  a  far  off  pasture  to  feed  stock. 

Before  the  last  red  streaks  faded  out  of  the  sky 
all  the  White  family  retired.  Remus  went  again  to 
a  bed  in  the  corner  of  the  immense  long  room,  where 
the  hired  men's  joking  jarred  his  sore  little  heart  a 
long  time  before  they  went  to  sleep,  and  their  snor- 
ing his  weary  ear  when  they  did  finally  drop  off. 

In  the  green-vined  feather-bed  closet  Rome  lay 
listening  to  Seth  Thomas.  How  awful  he  was ! 
Nothing  else  sounded  through  her  silence  and  des- 
olation except  his  "  tick  !  " —  and  then  he  kept  her 
breath  suspended  and  her  eyes  strained  —  "  tock  !  " 
If  Loo  were  there,  or  Allie,  or  if  she  could  put  out 
her  hand  and  touch  Arty  in  his  crib  !  What  if  some- 
body should  come  there  in  the  night  and  carry  her 
off !  How  easily  anyone  could  climb  off  the  ground 
into  her  window !  She  said  her  prayers,  begging 
fervently  that  she  might  not  feel  afraid  any  more  ; 
but,  whether  her  faith  was  weak  or  her  nerves 
strained,  she  was  almost  as  much  afraid  as  before. 
Then  Seth  Thomas  was  taken  with  his  hourly  fit, 
and  rattled  and  bdnged  nine  fearful  bangs,  and  she 


22O 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


could  not,  for  her  life,  help  trembling  lest  he  might 
walk  his  wonder  boots  right  in  at  her,  and  stand  glar- 
ing down  with  those  awful  eyes  into  which  they  put 
the  key  when  they  wound  him  up. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


DESPERATION. 

THE  next  day  it  rained,  and  Ben  did  not  come. 
The  day  after  it  rained  harder.  It  was  only  a 
mile  to  the  center  of  New  Town,  but  none  of  the 
White  household  had  any  errand  there,  and  no  mes- 
sage came  out  to  the  twins.  The  third  day  it  had 
got  in  the  habit  of  raining  and  kept  on  the  rest  of 
the  week.  Mr.  White  was  obliged  to  go  away  on  a 
business  errand,  which  he  called  "  looking  up  stock." 

221 


222  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

If  the  house  was  somewhat  drear  when  lighted  by 
his  hale  and  genial  presence,  what  was  it  with  him 
gone,  and  the  rain  over  it  like  a  jailer !  Rome  felt 
that  she  could  actually  gallop  five  times  the  distance 
which  separated  Rheem  and  her  from  the  rest  of  the 
family ;  but  how  dare  she  undertake  such  a  feat  in 
Priscilla's  borrowed  clothes  —  through  the  rain? 

Never  before  had  these  two  children  felt  the  actual 
galling  restrictions  of  poverty.  Their  outlook  was 
bad  enough,  but  their  present  was  terribly  wounding 
to  their  delicacy  and  native  independence.  They 
overheard  Priscilla  remark  in  her  unruffled  and  terse 
way,  that  she  didn't  like  to  have  children  around  un- 
derfoot !  Underfoot !  They,  late  householders,  and 
actual  heirs  to  a  cash  fortune !  This  fortune  now 
began  to  look  large  in  their  eyes.  They  consulted 
about  it  in  whispers,  in  the  porch  corners,  or  cuddling 
in  the  prim  sitting  room  together.  They  were  still 
mindful  of  their  characters  as  guests  and  tried  to 
show  appreciation  of  such  kindness  as  was  given 
them  ;  for  they  had  entertained,  and  knew  how  heavy 
on  the  hands  a  sullen  or  dissatisfied  visitor  is.  But 
every  day  they  seemed  to  sink  deeper  into  the  posi- 
tion of  little  dependents  and  pensioners.  Neither 
could  have  analyzed  the  feeling,  but  both  were  de- 
pressed to  the  last  degree  by  it. 


Desperation.  223 

The  sun  was  in  time  obliged  to  shine  out  once 
more,  and  he  came  most  gloriously  when  he  did 
come.  It  was  a  crystal  morning,  trembling  drops 
hanging  on  every  point ;  the  grass  so  fresh  that 
every  blade  seemed  just  born  ;  the  air  so  clear  that 
every  object  was  cut  out  with  distinct  edges  in  it ; 
the  larks  and  wood  thrushes  singing  as  if  they  would 
lilt  their  souls  out  and  die  in  the  next  gush.  Rome 
and  Remus  were  so  glad  they  slipped  down  the  front 
lane  and  jumped  like  colts.  New  Town  roofs  and 
walls  were  plainly  visible,  and  Rome  and  Remus 
climbed  upon  the  garden  palings  looking  in  that  be- 
loved direction,  with  some  hope  that  now  the  clouds 
would  roll  off  their  prospects,  too.  They  saw  a  fig- 
ure plodding  across  the  wet  fields  towards  them,  and 
the  air  magnified  so  that  Rheem  was  sure  it  was  Ben. 
They  watched  it  like  two  forlorn,  but  spirited  mari- 
ners on  a  rock  in  mid-ocean,  and  waved  their  hands 
to  the  sail  coming  to  their  rescue.  The  sail  waved 
back,  and  even  sent  them  distant  halloos.  When  it 
got  a  little  nearer  they  found  it  was  Jacey  Dixon, 
with  his  pants  girded  as  usual  at  the  waist,  but  turned 
up  in  the  legs  until  his  knobby  and  bespattered 
knees  poked  out.  Jacey  slouched  up,  and  they  felt 
more  enthusiasm  at  seeing  him  than  he  ever  before 
roused  in  them. 


224  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Jace  ?     Did  Ben  send  ycu  ? " 

"No,  I  guess  he  didn't!"  replied  Jace,  myste- 
iously,  grinning  vacantly  at  them.  Rheem  was  on 
top  of  the  fence  with  his  legs  through  the  palings. 
Rome  was  poised  like  a  hen,  but  suspended  flying, 
and  even  her  own  breath,  to  hear  Jacey. 

"  Are  they  well  ?  "  she  cried. 

"  I  guess  so,"  replied  Jacey.  "  All  but  Jack  —  and 
you  knew  about  him." 

"  No  we  didn't.  We  haven't  seen  any  of  the  chil- 
dren since  Tuesday.  It's  rained  so,  you  know." 

"  Are  you  going  to  stay  here  always  ?  " 

"JVW"  cried  Rome,  with  sharp  energy.  She 
couldn't  bear  to  think  of  such  a  thing. 

"  What  you  goin'  to  do,  then  ?  " 

"  Why,  we're  waiting  till  Ben  comes  for  us.  Then, 
we're  going  home  I" 

"  Yes,  we're  going  home  /"  said  Maude. 

"  Ho  !  "  said  Jacey. 

"Did  anyone  send  you  out  here?  "  asked  Remus. 

"  No.  I  just  come  myself.  When  I  saw  the  oth- 
ers goin*  off  I  wondered  if  they  was  runnin'  away  to 
leave  you." 

"  What  you  mean  ?  "  cried  the  twins. 

"  Why,  didn't  you  know  they've  all  gone  off? "  • 

"  Who's  gone  off  ?  " 


Desperation.  225 

"Your  folks.     They  went  on  this  morning's  train." 

"  You're  just  a-storying." 

"  Mebby  I  am !  I  guess  I  seen  'em,  though.  I 
like  to  know  what  you're  going  to  do,  now." 

"  Jace  Dixon,  you  tell  us  what  you  mean  by  saying 
the  rest  have  gone  off  and  left  us  ! " 

"  I  don't  mean  nothin'.  I  saw  'em  get  on  the 
train.  And  I  heard  you  two  was  out  here,  and  I 
wondered  if  they  was  leavin'  you  here  to  get  shut  o' 
ye!" 

"  Oh  —  hoo  !  "  wailed  Maude,  breaking  into  pas- 
sionate sobs  and  tears.  "But  Jack  isn't  gone,  I 
know.  He  was  all  blistered  in  the  fire,  and  the  doc- 
tor had  his  eyes  fastened  up  ! " 

"  Yes  he  is,  too,"  said  Jacey  with  solemn  triumph. 
"  Two  or  three  people  led  him.  He's  gone  blind  in 
his  eyes.  Stone  blind !  I  heard  the  neighbors  say 
he  was  goin'  to  Chicago  to  have  his  eyes  ampitated." 

"  He  isn't  blind  !  "  cried  Rheem,  with  vain  resist- 
ance. 

"  He  is,  too,"  said  Jacey.  "  Blinder'n  a  fish-worm. 
He  can't  work  no  more,  and  he'll  have  to  go  the 
poor-house." 

"  He  won't,  either !  I  guess  we've  got  money  and 
we'll  give  him  that !  " 

"  You  needn't  feel  so  big.     I  guess  you  haven't  1 


226  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

The  rest  is  goin'  to  git  all  you've  got  and  take  it 
with  them,  to  buy  clothes  and  things  with ;  for  Jack's 
hundred  dollars  won't  more'n  pay  for  gittin'  his  eyes 
ampitated  ! " 

Jacey  clawed  the  spongy  meadow  sod  with  his 
toes,  and  looked  as  if  he  enjoyed  himself.  Rome 
wept  copiously.  Rheem's  voice  trembled,  but  he 
sturdily  pursued  his  investigation. 

"  Allie  ain't  gone,  I  know,  'cause  she's  in  school." 

"  Well,  she  is,  too.  They  got  somebody  to  take 
her  place.  And  she  took  Arty." 

"  Loo  wouldn't  go  !  " 

"  I  bet  she  would  !  They  all  three  had  some  new 
clothes  on  they've  been  sewin'  at  all  the  week." 

"  Ben  said  he'd  get  a  house  and  then  send  for  us," 
gasped  Remus. 

"  He's  been  gone  to  Chicago  for  three  or  four  days, 
and  he  sent  down  word  to  the  rest  when  to  come, 
too." 

"  And  they  left  us  !  "  wept  Maude. 

"There  isn't  a  word  of  it  so!"  affirmed  Rheem, 
fiercely. 

"Well,  you  just  go  over  to  New  Town  and  see  !  " 
challenged  Jacey. 

"I  will,"  said  Rheem. 

"  Well,  come  along,"  said  Jacey. 


Desperation.  227 

Maude,  clinching  with  despairing  hands  the  tops 
of  the  pickets,  watched  her  twin  striding  with  manly 
steps  across  the  meadow,  trailing  John  White's  linen 
coat  in  grandfatherly  contrast  to  Jacey's  bare,  trot- 
ting legs.  And  I  cannot  begin  to  tell  you  how  for- 
saken and  terrified  she  felt  on  the  big  earth,  though 
it  was  so  bright.  Of  course;  it  wasn't  all  so  —  a  bit! 
But,  if  such  a  thing  could  be  so  !  She  turned  over 
the  terrible  possibilities  in  her  mind,  and  they  rolled 
up  mountain  high.  If  somebody  could  take  their 
lots,  and  their  house  could  burn  down  —  but,  no,  in- 
deed, the  rest  of  the  Bunch  would  never  go  off  and 
leave  two  of  the  young  ones  so  ! 

The  sun  grew  hot  before  Rheem  came  back.  The 
earth  steamed,  the  leaves  began  to  cast  startling 
shade  in  the  vivid  light ;  but  she  sat  on  the  pickets, 
bare-headed  and  almost  breathless,  waiting  for  her 
twin.  He  appeared  at  the  farther  side  of  the  past- 
ure ;  he  came  nearer,  and,  as  he  approached,  Maude 
could  hear  an  irrepressible,  minor  note  which 
sounded  like  "  boo-hoo !  "  till  he  came  so  near  she 
could  see  the  tears  dripping  down  his  downy  rounded 
face.  The  linen  coat  swayed  behind  him,  and  his 
little  shirt  collar  was  thrown  back,  as  if  he  could  not 
bear  its  pressure  on  his  throbbing  neck.  Maude 
now  took  flight  from  her  long  poise,  and  flopped  over 


228  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

the  fence  to  stagger  up  to  him,  and  slide  her  arm 
around  John  White's  coat. 

"What's  the  matter,  Rheemie  ?  Did  that  Jacey 
Dixon  hurt  you  ?  He's  just  as  naughty  as  he  can 
be!" 

"No,"  sobbed  Remus,  now  completely  broken 
down,  "  they  are  gone  !  " 

"  Not  Ben  and  Allie  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir!" 

"And  Jack  and  Arty?" 

"  Yes,  they  are  !  " 

"  And  Loo  ?  " 

"  They've  all  gone  and  left  us  here  !  " 

Oh,  desolation  !  They  lifted  up  their  voices  and 
wept  together,  until  Priscilla  in  the  kitchen  heard 
them,  and  looked  out  toward  the  milking  pasture  to 
see  if  anything  was  the  matter  with  her  pet  calves. 
Rome  and  Remus,  behind  the  farthest  palings  of  the 
garden,  were  in  another  direction. 

"  Who  told  you  ?  "  asked  Maude,  clinging  to  the 
last  straw  of  hope. 

"  I  went  and  peeked  in  at  the  doctor's,  and  none 
of  them  were  there.  And  I  peeked  in  at  the  school, 
and  none  of  them  were  there.  And  I  saw  Mr. 
Thomas,  and  he  said  they  did  go  in  the  early  train 
this  morning." 


Desperation.  22$ 

*'  O,  I  wish  we'd  run  over  last  night,  then  they'd 
taL.en  us  along  !  " 

"  Fumph,  I  don't !  "  said  Remus,  hotly.  "  I  don't 
want  to  stick  in  where  I  ain't  wanted !  " 

"  Not  wanted !  "  repeated  Rome,  aghast.  It  was  a 
new  view  of  herself  to  see  herself  not  wanted  in  the 
home  Bunch. 

"  They've  gone  off  and  left  us,"  hiccoughed  Re- 
mus, indignantly.  "  We  can  go  off  by  0#rselves,  too  ! 
We  ain't  going  to  care  !  " 

Maude  was  not  quite  sure  for  herself. 

"  I  want  to  see  Arty  ! "  she  broke  out. 

And,  upon  second  thought : 

"  I  want  to  see  Allie  and  Ben  !  " 

And,  her  heart  being  now  wide  open  : 

"I  want  to  see  poor  Jack — and  Loo!  Oh- 
hoo ! " 

"  I  don't  want  to  see  any  of  'em  !  "  said  Rheem, 
with  bunched  up  eyebrows.  "  I  don't  care  anything 
about  'em  !  " 

"  Yes,  you  do  !  "  said  Rome,  decidedly.  "  And, 
maybe  they  sent  for  us  and  the  word  didn't  get 
here." 

"  Ho  !     Couldn't  get  a  mile  !  " 

"Or,  maybe  they're  waiting  to  buy  some  new 
clothes  to  send  back  to  us." 


230  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

Remus  shook  his  head,  sidewise,  this  motion  in- 
dicating that  clothes  were  not  going  to  salve  his  deep 
indignation  at  this  late  day. 

"  What  we  going  to  do  ?  "  then  inquired  his  twin. 

This  dried  his  eyes  and  roused  his  energies. 

"  We've  just  got  to  look  out  for  ourselves  !  " 

Maude  believed  him,  and  waited  to  see  which  way 
he  would  look.  But,  with  feminine  tact,  ^she  put  in  a 
pebble  to  turn  the  stream. 

"  I  believe  Mrs.  White  wishes  we  were  at  some- 
body else's  house." 

"  Well,  we  won't  stay  much  longer  at  her  house  !  " 

"  Nobody  wants  us,  Rheemie." 

"  Well,  we  don't  care.  Le's  sit  down  and  study 
up  what  to  do." 

"  We  da'sn't  here.  We'll  get  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White's 
clothes  dirty.  Oh,  Rheem,  why  didn't  you  hold  up 
that  coat-tail  ? " 

"  I  don't  care  how  splashed  it  gets."  replied  the 
boy  with  calm  deliberation.  "  I'll  sit  down  in  that 
puddle  with  it  if  I'm  a  mind  to  !  " 

"  Don't ! "  begged  his  companion  in  tribulation. 
'*  Le's  climb  over  in  the  woods  and  find  a  clean  log 
where  it's  shady." 

This  they  did.  It  appeared  on  reviewing  the  situa- 
tion that  they  were  both  too  dejected  to  plan  with 


NOBILITY  IN    DISGUISE. 


Desperation.  233 

any  brilliancy  ;  and  moreover,  their  costumes  limited 
them  to  very  narrow  boundaries.  They  were  too 
honest  to  carry  away  the  borrowed  clothing,  which  at 
present  served  them  as  a  covering,  though  it  did  not 
by  any  means  render  them  objects  of  envious  admira- 
tion. But  they  were  one  in  wishing  to  get  away  from 
under  Priscilla's  feet.  Their  situation  as  they  looked 
at  it  was  truly  desperate.  They  had  a  pair  of  boots, 
a  pair  of  shoes,  some  underclothing  and  a  bed-spread 
between  them.  No  other  clothing  or  portable  prop- 
erty. And  whither  should  they  depart,  since  nobody 
wanted  them  ?  It  was  a  hard  problem. 

"  We  might  go  to  Chicago,  too,"  suggested  Maude, 
with  a  sneaking  desire  to  be  near  the  others  of  the 
Bunch,  in  spite  of  their  strange  desertion. 

"  Wouldn't  they  all  stare  to  see  us  come  walking 
into  town ! "  speculated  Remus,  which  observation 
was  a  very  just  one  when  their  travelling  suits  are 
taken  into  consideration. 

They  consulted,  and  wagged  their  heads  for  about 
sixty  minutes  by  Seth  Thomas'  slow  calculation ; 
though  he  could  know  nothing  about  it,  away  off  in 
the  shaded  sitting-room,  staring  straight  ahead  of 
him,  and  choking  regularly  every  hour. 

Priscilla  got  dinner  ready,  and  thought  a  great  deal 
about  pickling.  Her  husband  rode  into  the  yard 


234.  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

before  the  household  sat  down,  and  as  soon  as  he 
entered  the  house  he  asked  for  the  children. 

"They're  around  somewhere,"  said  Priscilla. 

"I've  brought  some  clothes  for  them,"  said  John, 
opening  the  sitting-room  door  and  tossing  a  bundle, 
directly  in  front  of  Seth  Thomas'  unwinking  counte- 
nance, to  the  settee,  "  and  some  news,"  added  John. 
"  What  move  do  you  think  that  little  tribe  has  taken 
now  ?  Doc.  Darling  says  Jack's  is  a  bad  case.  The 
eyes  are  pretty  badly  hurt ;  he's  afraid  the  boy'll 
never  see  again.  Anyhow,  he  thought  the  boy  better 
go  to  a  good  oculist.  It's  an  expensive  thing,  and 
they  all  broken  up  and  burnt  out  so.  Ben  went  up  to 
see  how  he  could  manage.  Those  young  ones  are 
either  lucky  or  so  plucky  they  won't  be  beat.  He  found 
something  to  do,  and  went  straight  and  answered  an 
advertisement  in  a  daily  about  some  rooms,  and 
rented  some,  and  the  woman  he  rented  them  of  took 
a  fancy  to  him.  I  suppose  the  young  one  told  her 
about  his  sisters,  and  she  wanted  to  know  if  one  of 
them  could  tend  to  her  housekeeping  for  her.  So 
Ben,  he  sends  down  for  the  whole  pack.  And  they 
all  pack  up  except  our  two.  Allie  had  to  buy  some 
ready-made  clothes  to  fit  them  out,  and  McKay's  to 
take  'em  up  to-morrow  —  he's  going  up  anyhow  on 
business.  I  reckon  they'll  pass  two  such  little  chaps 


Desperation.  235 

over  the  railroad  for  nothing,  and  if  they  won't,  I'll 
see  they  get  their  fare  paid.  Allie  sent  a  note  telling 
them  all  about  it  with  the  clothes.  The  train  stopped 
at  Carver  City  for  breakfast,  and  she  run  up  town 
and  got  the  things  and  sent  them  right  back ;  Joyce 
give  'em  to  me  to  bring  out.  She  said  she  was 
uneasy  about  the  two  young  ones  for  fear  they  would 
feel  cut  up  at  being  left  a  day  behind,  but  it's  in 
Jack's  favor;  they  want  to  get  something  done  for 
him  as  quick  as  they  can.  Ho,  Rheem  !  "  cried  John, 
stepping  to  the  edge  of  the  porch,  "ho,  Maddie ! 
Come  here  !  got  something  for  ye.  Where  are  they  ?  " 

"Oh,  not  far  off,"  said  Priscilla,  "they'll  get  hun- 
gry and  come  in  pretty  soon — sit  down  to  dinner." 

But  Rome  and  Remus  were  some  distance  off, 
stepping  along  in  the  densest  part  of  the  woods,  like 
a  pair  of  white  Siamese  twins,  the  spread  folded 
equally  over  their  tropical  garments,  and  Rome,  feel- 
ing more  humiliation  than  her  mate  who  had  less 
delicacy  and  more  love  for  adventure,  of  course,  was 
saying  under  her  breath  with  a  sob,  "  It's  just  as 
mean  as  dirt,  so  it  is !  " 

John  White,  going  into  the  sitting-room  to  unfold 
his  weekly  paper  after  dinner,  found  on  the  door-step 
his  linen  coat  and  loaned  trousers  lying  folded  nicely 
beside  Priscilla's  long  calico  basque  and  overskirt, 


236  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

and  his  kind  lips  pulled  themselves  away  out  in  front 
of  his  face  for  a  mighty  whistle.  He  took  one  step 
into  the  dining-room: 

"  Jerusalem  artichokes,  Priscilla ! " 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

MISS    GAFF     AND    SMALLER    FRY. 


C 


HICAGO 
opened 
her  arms  not 
unkindly  to  the 
Bunch.  How 
huge  and  love- 
ly she  looked 
to  their  village 
eyes  !  They 
came — not  by 
hack,  I  assure 
you,  n  o  r  b  y 
street  car,  but  quietly  patting  along  on  their  own  feet, 
through  street  after  street,  over  crossing  after  crossing, 
to  the  building  in  which  Ben  had  rented  rooms,  and 
Allie,  who  gave  up  her  school  to  stay  by  the  others, 
hoped  to  find  employment.  They  led  Jack  between 
two  of  them.  Arty  was  a  good  traveller,  and  only 
237 


238  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

asked  to  hold  some  one's  dress  or  hand  while  his 
great  eyes  took  in  all  the  strange  sights,  and  his 
boots  kept  time  with  the  family  march. 

They  had  no  luggage  to  move. 

The  house,  when  they  arrived  before  it,  towered 
high  above  their  heads  and  was  squeezed  in  a  long 
row  of  houses,  all  so  exactly  alike  that  they  looked 
like  palings  in  a  fence ;  all  painted  alike,  but  with 
different  numbers  on  their  foreheads.  It  was  built 
of  brick  and  approached  by  a  flight  of  steps.  They 
approached  it  and  raflg  the  bell.  The  street  was  not 
a  stylish  one,  but  it  looked  very  nice,  and  Loo 
thought  she  got  a  glimpse  of  the  lake  from  the  top  of 
the  steps. 

"  What  lake  ? "  asked  Arty,  who  had  been  quiet 
during  the  whole  day's  run  on  the  train,  absorbing 
everything  with  his  eyes. 

"  Lake  Michigan,"  replied  Ben. 

"What  is  Lake  Michigan  ?" 

"  A  great  big  pond,"  replied  Jack. 

The  door  was  opened  by  a  German  girl,  with  a 
good-natured  but  stupid  look.  They  made  quite  a 
formidable  little  party  on  the  steps,  and  she  stared 
at  them. 

"  We  are  the  folks  who  are  to  live  on  the  top 
floor,"  said  Ben. 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  239 

At  this  she  opened  the  door  wide,  and  they  all 
entered. 

"  Is  Miss  Gaff  in  ?  "  inquired  Ben. 

"  No,"  replied  Minnie,  in  the  high  key  peculiar  to 
German  voices.  "  She  gone  to  see  her  patients. 
She  been  home  to  dinner-time." 

"  We'll  just  go  up-stairs,"  said  Ben  ;  and  they  pro- 
ceeded to  mount,  the  girls  walking  on  either  side  of 
Jack,  and  Ben  leading  Arty,  who  toiled  up  flight 
after  flight,  purring  louder  on  every  landing. 

"  My  gracious,  Ben !  are  we  going  to  the  sky  ? " 
asked  Allie. 

"Sometime,  I  hope.  But  just  now  we're  going -to 
the  fourth  floor." 

The  stairs  were  uncarpeted,  but  they  were  built  of 
dark,  rich-colored  wood.  There  was  a  heavy,  sub- 
stantial air  about  the  whole  building. 

When  they  got  to  the  top  they  found  a  kind  of  ves- 
tibule, which  opened  into  a  set  of  rocms,  five  in  num- 
ber. Allie  looked  around,  wondering  blankly  how 
she  should  ever  furnish  them.  They  were  pretty  as 
they  were,  however.  The  walls  were  finished  in 
rough  plaster,  and  every  room  done  in  a  particular 
kind  of  wood.  That  one  overlooking  the  street  was 
finished  in  oak,  the  one  next  it  in  cherry  ;  a  small 
entry  and  the  bath-room,  which  divided  these  two 


240  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

from  the  rest  of  the  set,  were  in  walnut,  and  the  re- 
mainder, being  in  the  darker  part  of  the  house,  in 
ash.  Real  woods,  polished,  without  any  varnish. 
The  windows  were  double,  and  each  sash  contained 
but  one  pane  of  plate  glass.  There  were  two  gas 
chandeliers,  the  gas  coming  through  burners  at  the 
sides  of  the  rooms.  Loo  was  impressed  with  the 
possible  beauty  of  the  place,  and  especially  with  the 
grates ;  there  being  one  in  every  room  except  that 
one  designed  for  the  kitchen,  where  a  small  range 
waited. 

"  We  sha'n't  have  to  buy  any  stoves  ! "  she  ex^ 
claimed  in  ecstasy.  "  These  are  lots  prettier  than 
the  old  Franklin,  too !  " 

"  Isn't  the  rent  awful  high  ?  "  asked  Allie,  suspi- 
ciously. 

'*  It's  two  hundred  a  year,"  said  Ben,  "  but  we 
might  have  had  to  pay  half  as  much  more  for  the 
worst  kind  of  places.  Rents  are  always  high  in 
tbwns;  and  mind,  Allie,  the  rent's  to  come  out  of 
what  Miss  Gaff  pays  you  for  keeping  house  for  her." 

"  I  hope  I'll  suit  her." 

"  The  reason  that  we  get  these  rooms  so  low  is, 
that  Miss  Gaff  bought  this  house  in  the  row,  and  she 
won't  take  anybody  for  tenants  except  folks  who  hap- 
pen to  please  her.  She's  very  particular.  I  guess 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  241 

our  being  from  the  country  was  a  good  deal  in  our 
favor.  There  are  three  floors  besides  the  basement. 
She  has  t^e  first  floor  ;  the  second  one's  empty,  and 
we  took  the  third.  All  the  families  in  the  house 
can  have  their  washing  done  in  the  basement.  There 
are  drying  places  and  all." 

"  But  think,"  cried  housekeeper  Loo,  "  of  dragging 
the  water  for  cooking  clear  up  all  those  stairs,  and 
carrying  slops  down — " 

"  Look  here,"  said  Ben,  stepping  up  to  the  kitchen- 
sink  near  which  he  happened  to  be.  He  turned  on 
the  cold  water,  then  the  steaming  hot  water,  and  they 
all  saw  it  sink  away  with  great  admiration.  They 
were  initiated  into  all  the  mysteries  and  conven- 
iences of  the  flat — even  Jack,  who  poked  his  finger 
under  the  hot  stream  and  jumped,  saying,  "  Christo- 
pher Columbus  !  "  and,  while  his  quick  hands  felt  sil- 
ver faucets,  or  smooth  wood,  or  promising  grate, 
could  not  help  crying  out :  "  Oh,  children,  I  wish  I 
could  see !  " 

"  Bless  your  dear  old  head ! "  said  Allie,  patting 
his  bandages,  "you  shall  see  after  'while  !  " 

"Jacky,"  cried  Arty,  pulling  him  by  the  trousers' 
leg  to  something  he  admired,  "  can't  you  see  this  ? 
Jacky,  look  right  tight  at  it  —  can't  you  see  it  ? " 

"  I'd  rather  see   you,  Muggins.     Give  me  a  good 


242  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

square  hug,  will  you  ?  A  g^od  square  one,  mind, 
not  one  of  your  little  squeezes." 

Jack  dropped  on  his  knee,  and  he  and  Arty 
clasped  arms  around  each  other  for  the  "  squarest " 
and  heartiest  kind  of  an  embrace  ;  then  Arty  put 
some  sugar  kisses  on  the  tip  of  Jack's  visible  nose, 
and  not  a  disappointing  "dog-kiss,"  among  them. 
Arty  was  five  years  old,  but  always  Jack's  baby. 

"  Now,"  said  Ben,  "  let's  sit  down  and  see  how  we 
stand." 

This  rather  contradictory  thing  they  proceeded  to 
do.  They  camped  in  a  huddle  on  the  polished 
floor. 

"  I've  got,"  said  the  young  pater-familias,  turning 
out  the  contents  of  his  pocket-book,  "  after  paying 
for  four  of  us  —  Arty  was  passed  —  ten  dollars  !  We 
don't  owe  a  cent  in  New  Town." 

"That's  a  blessing,"  said  Allie,  "and,"  turning 
out  her  own  portemonnaie,  "  after  paying  fifteen  dol- 
lars for  things  for  Maude  and  Rheem,  and  part  for 
the  clothes  we  have  on  —  we  girls  —  I  have  twenty 
dollars  out  of  my  last  month's  salary." 

"  And  there  was  the  Association  Fund,"  said  Jack, 
"  that  we  put  in  Mr.  Joyce's  safe  over  at  the  station." 

"  We  put  that  into  the  house,  you  know." 

"O  yes,  so  we  did.     I'd  just  drawn  my  money  be- 


Miss  Gaff  ana  Smaller  Fry.  243 

• 

fore  the  house  burnt,  so  I've  no  cash  to  stock  in, 
now.  I'd  'a  got  a  place  to  be  telegraph-operator, 
soon,"  mourned  Jack,  aside. 

"  Thirty-five  dollars.  That's  a  pretty  slim  stock  to 
go  to  housekeeping  on  !  " 

"  Yes,  but  it's  considerably  better  than  nothing." 

"  So  it  is  !  "  they  all  exclaimed. 

"We  must  pay  half  a  month's  rent  in  advance  out 
of  it,"  said  Ben  ;  "  but  I  go  right  to  work  the  first  of 
the  week,  and  we  can  get  things  as  we  need  them. 
First  thing  I  do,  I'll  order  a  load  of  coal  to  cook 
with." 

"And  where'll  we  put  it  ?  "  cried  Loo,  aghast. 

This  led  to  a  pilgrimage  to  the  coal-closet,  which 
they  found  on  opening  a  smooth-finished  door  i.n  the 
vestibule. 

"The  man  that  brings  it  will  find  the  closet,''  said 
Ben. 

Then  they  camped  again.  Allie  took  out  her  lead- 
pencil  and  a  bit  of  paper  to  make  a  list  of  things  they 
needed  at  once.  She  hesitated,  looked  anxious. 

"  Our  rent  out,  Ben,  how  much  will  that  leave  ?  " 

"  Twenty-seven  dollars  and  sixty-two  and  £  half 
cents." 

"  Then  there  will  be  Rome  and  Rheem's  fare  ?  " 

"I   think  they'll   come  half  price.     I'll  settle 
with  Mr.  McKay." 


244  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"We're  under  obligations  to  all  the  good  New 
Town  folks  who  took  us  after  the  fire.  I'll  crochet 
white  woolen  sacques  for  all  Mrs.  Darling's  babies 
before  Christmas" — then  the  magnitude  of  this  un- 
dertaking appearing  to  her,  Allie,  amended,  "  or,  for 
as  many  as  I  can.  Well,  say  we  have  twenty-seven 
dollars." 

"  We'll  not  need  cupboards,"  said  Loo,  pointing  to 
the  shelved  closets. 

"  And  we  can  camp  with  very,  very  few  dishes  un- 
til we  get  more  money.  Six  plates,  six  cups,  and  sau- 
cers —  O,  the  spoons,  the  knives,  the  forks !  how 
they'll  cost !  " 

"  Don't  forget  assorted  platters,"  put  in  Loo,  *'  and 
four  or  five  vegetable  covers,  and  twelve  little  fruits  — " 

"Loo  Dogberry,  do  you  know  we  shall  have  to  buy 
every  potato  and  every  scrap  of  fruit  we  eat  ?  We 
have  no  garden,  now  !  " 

"  We'll  have  to  get  pots  and  pans  and  a  broiler  — 

"  No  we  shan't,"  cried  Ben,  opening  a  closet  be- 
side the  end  of  the  range  and  showing  the  range's 
full  outfit. 

"  O,  what  a  blessed  place  !  "  cried  Loo,  in  ecstasy. 

"  What  are  we  going  to  sleep  on  ?  "  inquired  Jack, 
whose  head  was,  even  then,  aching  uncomplainingly 
for  a  place  to  lay  itself. 

The  rest  slared  at  each  other,  aghast. 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  245 

"If  we  buy  as  much  as  one  bed-room  set,"  said 
A-llie,  in  despair,  "  it'll  take  all  we've  got,  and  leave 
nothing  to  buy  food  •  and  we  mustn't  think  of  car- 
pets !  " 

"  Why  should  we  ?  "  cried  Ben.  "  They  aren't  the 
thing  in  this  kind  of  a  house.  Look  at  the  floors ! 
Do  you  suppose  they  finished  them  up  in  that  way 
to  be  covered  ?  Miss  Gaff  says  all  they  ought  to 
have  is  a  drugget  in  the  middle  ;  and  we'll  buy  drug- 
gets when  we  get  farther  along." 

Loo  looked  at  the  narrow,  glistening  boards  not 
unkindly. 

"They'll  be  easily  washed,"  she  said. 

"  I'll  go,"  said  Ben,  after  profound  thought,  "  and 
buy  two  large  mattresses  and  a  little  one,  and  some 
coal,  and  something  to  eat,  and  a  mighty  few  dishes. 
That  seems  best,  doesn't  it,  Allie  ?  The  mattresses 
will  cost  about  fifteen  dollars.  We  can  put  'em  up 
on  bedsteads  when  we  can  afford  the  bedsteads.  It's 
so  warm  we  sha'n't  need  covers." 

"That'll  do  firstrate,"  said  Allie,  "and  we'll  pick 
our  bed-rooms.  O,  we'll  get  fixed  up  lovely  one  of 
these  days !  " 

"I  tell  you,  now,"  cried  Jack,  "take  that  hundred 
dollars  of  mine  and  get  what  you  want.  You  can 
get  it  of  Mr.  McKay,  treasurer." 

"No,   sir,"   said    Ben,   firmly,  "we  won't,  my  son. 


246  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

Vou'll  need  it  all ;  and,  as  to  the  children's  money, 
we'll  never  touch  that.  Suppose  anything  should 
happen  to  us  older  ones,  they'd  have  nothing  to  fall 
back  upon." 

''Now,  Loo,"  said  Allie,  "  let's  make  a  list  of  only 
what  we  must  have.  Plates,  cups  —  I  wonder  if  we 
can't  do  without  cups  ?  —  knives  —  knives  and  forks. 
Oh  dear !  " 

"  Something  to  eat,first,"  begged  Ben.  "  The  easi- 
est way  would  be  for  us  all  to  go  to  a  restaurant,  but 
we  can't  afford  to  think  of  it.  Loo,  couldn't  you 
heat  the  kettle  and  make  some  coffee  ?  And  I'll  get 
a  baker's  big  loaf  and  some  potatoes  —  and  I  think  a 
beefsteak  would  be  best  for  us." 

They  were  agreed  on  that,  Loo  admonishing  her 
market-bound  brother  not  to  forget  salt  and  butter. 

"  For  this  time,"  said  she,  with  alacrity,  "  when 
I've  broiled  the  steak,  I'll  cut  it  up  and  put  it  be- 
tween slices  of  bread  —  with  this  big  knife ;  and 
here's  a  dipper,  we  can  take  turns  drinking  out  of 
that !  —  O,  milk,  Ben,  milk  and  sugar !  " 

Ben  made  memoranda  and  shook  his  head. 

"  We'll  have  to  be  very  careful,"  said  he. 

"  Ben,  what  sort  of  woman  is  Miss  Gaff  ?  "  inquired 
the  bandaged  boy,  who  was  obliged  to  paint  inward 
pictures  for  himself  now. 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  247 

"  Well,  she's  real  nice.  She  isn't  very  tall  nor  very 
short,  but  pretty  thin." 

"  Is  she  pretty  ?  "  asked  Allie. 

"  She's  —  good-looking." 

"  What  did  the  girl  mean  by  saying  she  had  gone 
to  see  her  patients  ?  "  asked  Loo. 

"Why,  she's  a  doctor !" 

"  A  doctor  !  I  think  a  woman  doctor  must  be  hor- 
rid !  " 

Jack  tugged  at  his  bandages.  "  Bring  her  up ! 
Let  me  see  her.  I  never  saw  a  woman  doctor  in  my 
life."  "  [  tell  you,  now,  she  's  smart !  "  cried  Ben. 
"Anybody  could  tell  that  by  looking  at  her,  and  to  see 
her  get  into  her  buggy  when  it's  brought  to  the  door, 
and  pick  up  the  lines  and  drive  off." 

"  Does  she  wear  a  plug  hat  and  carry  pill-bags  ?  " 
asked  Jack,  excitedly. 

"  No  !  what  are  you  talking  about !  She  wears  a 
pretty  little  hat,  and  takes  her  medicine  in  a  kind  of 
case,  though  I  guess  she  always  has  a  lot  more  hid 
about  the  buggy.  She  makes  lots  of  money." 

"  How  do  you  know  ? " 

"  When  I  was  here  the  day  I  came  for  rooms,  four 
or  five  persons  called  for  her.  She  has  her  office  on 
the  first  floor  at  one  side  of  the  hall." 

Allie  was  looking  dejected.  She  did  not  enjoy  the 
situation. 


248  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  I'll  have  to  send  coal  first,  "  said  Ben,  returning 
to  the  original  subject,  as  a  matter  of  course,  "  and 
I'll  send  it  from  the  very  first  coal-yard  I  see;  and 
some  kindling.  " 

He  was  going  out  into  the  vestibule  when  a  pat  of 
steps  coming  up  the  stairs  made  him  pause. 

"  Here  she  comes,  I  do  believe  !  " 

Pat,  pat,  pat.     Firm,  light  and  swift. 

"  Oh,  you're  there,  are  you,  paterfamilias  ?  Did 
you  bring  your  family  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  replied  Ben,  pushing  the  door  wide; 
"  here  they  are." 

Miss  Gaff  came  in  among  them  ;  she  wore  a  black 
cashmere,  trimmed  with  silk,  fitting  her  closely,  but 
trailing  slightly;  a  gold  watch  and  black  woven  guard  ; 
her  heavy  brown  hair  was  coiled  on  the  top  of  her 
head,  and  straight,  unruly  bits  of  it  strayed  into  her 
neck  ;  spotless  collar  and  cuffs,  a  round  gold  brooch; 
a  pleasant  face  with  a  reddish  tint,  large  eyes  and 
broad  nose  :  this  was  Miss  Gaff. 

An  atmosphere  of  beneficence  tempered  with  a 
tendency  to  harmless  prejudices,  entered  with  her 
The  children  all  rose  up  from  the  floor.  She  made 
first  for  Jack: 

**  Why,  what's  the  matter  with  the  little  man's  eyes  ? " 

"  He  was  the  one  that  got  burnt,  ma'am. " 

"  Badly  ?  " 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  251 

"  So  he's  been  bandaged  ever  since.  You  know  I 
told  you  that  our  house  burned  down  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  I  must  have  a  look  at  those  eyes.  " 

She  turned  towards  Allie  :  "  This  is  your  oldest 
sister  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am,  the  one  that  is  to  keep  house  for 
you.  And  this  is  Loo  and  this  is  our  baby,  Arty.  " 

Miss  Gaff  shook  hands  with  all  of  them  ;  she  had 
a  long,  slender  white  hand,  soft,  but  firm  to  the  touch. 

"  Well,  make  yourselves  at  home,"  said  she.  "  Of 
course,  Miss  Allie,  you'll  want  to  get  things  running 
comfortably  up  here  before  you  begin  with  me.  How 
do  you  like  the  flat  ? " 

The  Bunch  chorused  heartily  that  they  thought  it 
was  splendid. 

Miss  Gaff  led  them  over  it  again,  and  showed  them 
conveniences  which  they  had  not  discovered. 

"  When  will  your  furniture  come  ? "  she  asked. 

The  Bunch  looked  at  each  other,  and  from  smiling 
shamefacedly,  proceeded  on  to  a  broad  laugh. 

"  When  we  earn  it,  ma'am !  "  said  Ben. 

"  Oh,  you  lost  everything  in  the  fire.  That  was  too 
bad. " 

"  Yes,  ma'am,  and  we're  obliged  to  go  slow  in  get- 
ting things  till  we  can  make  things  work  around  right 


252  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

11  It  was  too  bad,  "  repeated  Miss  Gaff.  "  But  1 
thought  there  were  seven  of  you  ?  " 

11  The  twins  are  coming  on  to-morrow.  " 

"  Twins,  eh  ?  Well,  how  are  you  going  to  arrange 
your  rooms  ?" 

It  was  very  easy  to  be  confidential  with  Miss  Gaff. 
They  all  ran  and  showed  her  which  room  was  to  be 
the  boys',  which  the  girls',  which  the  dining-room  and 
which  the  parlor.  She  was  very  cheerful  and  busi- 
ness-like. And  for  their  encouragement  told  them 
how  hard  she  had  worked  in  her  own  life,  first  to 
support  herself  after  her  father,  who  had  been  worth 
several  hundred  thousand  dollars,  failed ;  and  next 
to  learn  her  profession  and  next  to  get  established 
in  it. 

"  But  there  are  people  now,  "  said  Miss  Gaff,  en- 
thusiastically, to  the  Bunch,  with  pardonable  pride  in 
her  success,  "  who  have  faith  in  no  other  physician, 
and  who  telegraph  back  to  me  for  orders  when  they 
leave  the  city.  Some  of  the  very  ones  who  thought 
medicine  was  not  a  fit  calling  for  a  woman !  " 

She  was  full  of  oddities,  and  queer  confidences  and 
kind  impulses.  She  was  a  lady  about  thirty-six  years 
old,  with  an  older  benignity  about  her  which  suited 
her  style  and  profession. 

Ben  offered  her    half  a  month's   rent  in  advance. 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  253 

This  was  simply  a  guaranty  of  good  faith  on  his  part, 
for  the  arrangement  was  that  she  should  pay  Allie  a 
hundred  a  year  over  and  above  the  rent — if  the  plan 
proved  mutually  agreeable.  But  coming  in  without 
bag  or  baggage,  Ben  and  Allie  both  felt  that  their 
respectability  demanded  an  advance,  for  fear  unfore- 
seen circumstances  might  terminate  the  engagement 
before  it  was  fairly  entered  into  on  Allie's  part. 

Miss  Gaff  put  their  money  back  into  Ben's  pocket- 
book  herself,  strapped  it  up  and  told  him  not  to  let 
her  hear  of  it  again.  She  then  told  them  all  to  come 
down  and  dine  with  her,  and  would  hear  of  no  ex- 
cuses, after  which  she  went  down-stairs  and  Ben  took 
Allie  with  him  to  select  such  necessary  articles  as 
their  money  would  buy.  They  ordered  coal  and 
bought  matresses  ;  and  having  fully  thirty-five  dollars 
since  the  rent  was  not  deducted,  gratefully  got  a  table 
and  some  towels,  besides  the  kitchen  supplies,  Ben  at 
first  proposed.  The  table-ware  demanding  time  and 
consideration,  they  postponed  selecting  any  until  next 
morning,  for  Miss  Gaff  might  wait  dinner  for  them. 

"  We'll  picnic  for  breakfast,  "  said  Allie. 

Minnie  did  not  let  them  in.  She  was  serving  up 
dinner.  Miss  Gaff's  coachman  opened  the  door  and 
showed  them  into  a  parlor  through  the  second  door 
in  the  hall.  It  was  a  very  queer  parlor.  The  other 


254  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

children  had  been  rung  down  and  were  surrounding 
Miss  Gaff,  while  she  showed  them  some  of  the  bottle 
wonders  of  her  museum.  One  whole  end  of  the 
room  was  a  cabinet,  carefully  covered  with  glazed 
doors  to  keep  dust  and  meddlesome  fingers  out  of 
Miss  Gaff's  treasures.  She  had  pickled  toads  and 
snakes  of  the  strangest  species,  from  the  flat-headed 
copper-snake  of  the  North,  to  the  asp  of  Egypt.  She 
had  a  shark's  jaws  with  three  rows  of  horrible  notched 
teeth  in  it ;  an  Aztec's  skull ;  fossil  pappooses  j  res- 
urrection plants  looking  like  dried  branches,  but  when 
she  put  one  in  water  it  spread  out  delicately,  as  full 
of  life  as  the  freshest  flower;  minerals  and  fossils 
without  number,  all  labelled  and  in  the  nicest  order  ; 
a  stone  full  of  garnets,  and  any  quantity  of  quartz 
with  heavy  gold  streaks  leading  through  it.  Miss 
Gaff  seemed  to  have  pushed  these  precious  minerals 
into  a  corner,  and  rather  to  dislike  the  sight  of  them, 
at  which  the  children  wondered,  but  they  afterwards 
learned  why.  The  beloved  part  of  her  collection 
was  the  bottled  monsters  ;  she  pointed  at  the  beauty 
of  their  construction  and  gave  an  animated  little  lec- 
ture on  their  habits  in  life.  Arty,  however,  was  best 
pleased  with  an  exhibition  she  gave  them  with  a  little 
gray  cone,  the  size  of  your  thumb-end.  She  touched 
a  match  to  the  tip— it  began  to  hiss  and  rise  up,  scaly 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  255 

fold  over  scaly  fold  till  it  lay  a  coil-of-dust-snake  on 
the  table.  He  never  saw  such  a  firework  before. 

Minnie  rang  the  bell  and  Miss  Gaff  led  her  guests 
out  to  dinner.  Loo  was  crowded  back,  and  making 
a  misstep  pushed  the  door  behind  her;  something 
began  to  clatter  in  that  corner  at  the  end  of  the  cab- 
inet :  she  looked,  and  sprang  straight  up  with  a 
shriek,  for  there  was  a  human  skeleton  dancing  airily 
on  nothing  and  seeming  to  make  fantastic  offers  of 
its  hands  to  give  her  a  swing  ! 

"  Oh,  don't  be  startled,  "  said  Miss  Gaff,  looking 
back;  "  its  only  Bony ;  I  dissected  and  put  him  to- 
gether myself — with  some  assistance  about  cleaning 
the  bones. " 

Loo  felt  profound  respect  for  Miss  Gaff,  but  her 
flesh  crept  on  her  own  bones  in  spite  of  reasoning. 

"  Hollo  !  what's  this  ?  "  exclaimed  Ben,  "  I'm  step- 
ping on  something." 

"  Let  me  see.  Why,  it's  one  of  my  little  shell- 
turtles  !  " 

"  It's  a  rosette  off  a  slipper,  isn't  it  ?  "  asked  Allie. 

But  she  dropped  it  like  a  coal  as  its  pointed  tail 
and  groping  head  appeared  and  disappeared. 

Miss  Gaff  laughed,  and  gathering  it  up  tenderly 
carried  it  into  the  dining-room  and  placed  it  in  a  sort 
of  terrapin-pen,  where  tortoise-backs  in  as  many 


256  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

stages  of  development  as  Mrs.  Darling's  babies  were 
slowly  disporting  themselves.  Before  sitting  down  to 
table  she  showed  them  her  aquarium,  which  was 
beautiful.  Miss  Gaff  allowed  no  one  to  attend  to  it 
but  herself,  and  built  up  the  arch  of  stones  in  the 
middle  of  it  a-fresh  every  morning. 

"  I  always  rise  at  about  five  o'clock,  "  she  said.  "  I 
cannot  sleep  in  the  morning,  and  it  usually  keeps  me 
till  business  hours  finding  my  pets  and  renovating 
their  houses.  Where  is  Stripey  ? "  she  exclaimed, 
looking  about  blankly ;  "  why,  he's  slipped  out  of  his 
box  into  the  room,  some  place  ! " 

"  Who  is  Stripey  ?  "  asked  Loo,  beginning  to  feel 
cold  streaks  down  her  spine. 

"  Oh,  he's  my  little  spotted  snake — but  you  needn't 
feel  afraid  of  him  a  mite,  he's  perfectly  harmless  — " 

"  O —  o  —  oh  !  "  cried  Allie,  with  a  little  shriek  — 
"  something's  on  my  foot  —  round  my  ankle  !  " 

And  in  sympathy  with  her  the.  children  all  began  to 
execute  a  kind  of  war-dance. 

Miss  Gaff,  laughingly,  stooped  down  and  disen- 
tangled her  pet  from  the  trembling  girl,  and  held  him 
up  in  her  hands,  to  show  how  harmless  he  was.  But 
his  scaly  back,  his  sinuous  length  and  diamond 
points  of  eyes  made  them  instinctively  shudder  with 
ancient  hatred  of  the  snake,  while  they  sincerely  tried 
to  admire. 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  257 

"Naughty  boy, "  cooed  Miss  Gaff,  while  she  put 
him  back  into  a  box  half  full  of  earth,  and  furnished 
with  all  the  conveniences  of  snake  domestic  life, 
"  did  he  get  out  and  look  all  over  de  house  for  his 
mistress,  and  get  on  de  strange  lady's  ankle  ?  He 
often  coils  round  my  feet,"  she  explained  to  the 
Bunch,  "and  lies  sunning  himself  there  while  I  am 
studying,  with  the  tip  of  his  tail  curled  around  his 
neck,  as  contentedly  as  a  kitten." 

The  children  tried  to  fancy  his  snakeship  purring, 
to  complete  the  picture  of  his  innocence.  They  sat 
down  to  table  and  found  a  bountiful  dinner.  There 
was  roast  veal,  a  great  variety  of  vegetables,  but  first 
of  all  a  very  nice  soup ;  and  dessert  plates  of  pie 
and  an  iced  pudding,  with  cheese,  waited'  on  the  side- 
board for  the  change. 

"  Minnie  cooks  decently,"  said  Miss  Gaff,  "  but 
she  needs  some  one  to  look  after  her  all  the  time. 
Now  she  has  forgotten  to  put  on  the  salts !  "  She 
touched  a  bell,  Minnie  appeared,  and  breathing  apol- 
ogies when  she  found  what  was  wanted,  produced 
the  salt-bottles  from  a  shelf  of  the  side-board. 

As  she  came  in,  a  bound,  a  scuffle  and  a  bark  fol- 
lowed her,  and  six  dogs,  wagging  their  tails  nearly  off 
and  all  attracted  to  Miss  Gaff  as  planets  are  pulled 
to  the  sun,  jumped  up  in  bunches  and  by  pairs,  and 


258  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

singly   on    the   back   of  her   chair,  licking  her  face. 

"  Why,  why,  why  ! "  exclaimed  Miss  Gaff,  who  had 
now  finished  pouring  the  coffee,  "couldn't  dey  stay 
out  one  evening,  but  must  dey  come  to  see  dey  mis- 
tis  anyhow  ? " 

"  Yowp  !  "  yelled  the  Newfoundland. 

"  Woo  —  wooh  !  "  declared  the  snowy  Spitz. 

"  Wee  —  e  !  "  whined  an  ebony-nosed  terrier  twist- 
ing himself  nearly  in  two  with  delight. 

"  Bowwh ! "  burst  out  Luck)',  a  house-dog,  so 
heavy  and  awkward  and  large  that  his  tail,  which  kept 
up  a  circular  motion  like  a  windmill,  was  in  danger  of 
knocking  over  something  or  some  small  person. 

Wix,  a  shaggy  black  and  white  mongrel  who  looked 
like  a  dwarfed  Newfoundland,  went  off  into  a  succes- 
sion of  barks,  and  a  very  slender,  graceful  hound 
placed  his  paws  on  the  table  and  looked  at  all  the 
company. 

"  Shall  I  put  them  out,  ma'am  ?  "  asked  Minnie, 
about  to  return  to  the  kitchen. 

"  No ;  let  them  be ;  they  want  to  get  acquainted 
with  the  folks.  Wix,  my  little  boy,  put  your  hair  out 
of  your  eyes  !  " 

Wix,  whose  shaggy  locks  half  hid  his  bright  orbs, 
certainly  made  great  efforts  with  his  tail,  but  wag  he 
never  so  hard,  he  couldn't  wag  his  eyes  clear.  Miss 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  259 

Gaff  gave  him  a  bite  of  veal  and  all  the  other  dogs 
made  a  focus  of  their  noses  in  the  spot  where  Wix 
snapped  it.  Arty  was  greatly  amused,  but  he  drew 
his  legs  up  under  him  when  the  hound's  cold  rose 
investigated  the  backs  of  them. 

"  Do  —  they  —  stay  in  the  kitchen  ?  "  inquired 
Alice,  with  some  hesitation. 

Miss  Gaff  laughed.  "  Were  you  *  going  to  give  no- 
tice '  if  they  did  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  exclaimed  Allie. 

"  They  have  a  kennel  of  their  own  in  the  back 
yard,"  continued  their  mistress ;  "  a  separate  apart- 
ment for  every  dog  in  it.  They  get  along  splendidly 
together.  I  daren't  let  them  run  in  the  streets,  so  I 
give  them  the  run  of  my  rooms.  Sometimes  I  take 
one  or  two  in  the  buggy  with  me.  They  are  quite  a 
happy  family. " 

The  dogs,  whose  voices  had  been  joining  in  a  low 
growl  over  a  plate  Miss  Gaff  had  filled  and  set  for 
them,  with  a  napkin  under  it,  on  the  carpet,  now 
raised  a  terrific  snarl  and  several  yelps,  while  Wix 
came  toward  her  carrying  one  paw,  and  tears  in  his 
eyes  if  one  could  see  them. 

"  You  naughty  boys  !  "  cried  their  mistress,  "  just 
when  I'm  telling  how  peaceable  you  are  !  Did  they 
bite  his  foot  ?  " 


260  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

She  reached  down  and  took  the  plate  away  from 
them,  and  they  all  wagged  their  tails  and  squatted  in 
pleading  repentance ;  but  not  another  morsel  were 
they  allowed  to  have  before  company;  she  made 
them  all  go  and  sit  in  a  disconsolate  row  by  tfce  wall, 
where  they  blinked,  or  licked  their  chops  or  snapped 
at  a  fly — excepting  Wix,  whose  foot  had  fallen  a  prey 
to  some  of  his  brethren's  ill-nature ;  him  she  allowed 
to  sit  beside  her  skirt,  and  this  favor  so  elated  him 
that  he  beat  the  floor  with  his  tail  to  that  degree  it 
seemed  he  would  either  break  through  into  the  cellar 
or  irreparably  damage  his  tail.  As  dinner  proceeded 
and  Miss  Gaff's  protecting  kindness  towards  all 
creatures  became  more  and  more  apparent,  the  chil- 
dren were  quite  fascinated  by  her.  Their  company 
seemed  .good  for  her,  also ;  she  was  very  attentive  to 
their  wants,  and  as  busy  as  the  matron  of  a  very  large 
orphan  asylum.  She  ate  very  little  herself,  but  Allie 
observed  she  was  an  exquisite  epicure,  and  even  dis- 
turbed by  the  way  dishes  were  set  on  the  table.  Allie 
resolved  when  she  took  Miss  Gaff's  housekeeping  in 
hand,  to  take  the  table-laying  into  her  own  hands  and 
make  a  fine  art  of  it.  Minnie  changed  their  plates, 
and  they  took  dessert.  Miss  Gaff  had  new  coffee 
made  and  ordered  down  a  certain  old  set  of  painted 
china  cups  to  drink  the  dessert  coffee  from. 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  261 

"  By  the  way,  "  said  she,  "  have  you  bought  table- 
ware yet  ? " 

"  We're  going  out  to  pick  some  in  the  morning,  " 
began  Ben. 

"You  needn't.  I  have  a  dinner  set  in  the  closet 
that  I  never  use  —  I  don't  like  the  pattern,  and  I  like 
to  mix  my  table-ware  now,  and  not  have  things  so 
uniform.  You  can  use  it  till  you  get  rich  and  proud 
enough  to  refurnish  your  table  according  to  your 
minds. " 

"  But  if  anything  should  get  broken, "  said  Loo, 
anticipating  the  distress  of  such  an  accident. 

"  Pooh  !  Take  it  and  use  it.  Minnie,  wash  up 
that  dinner  set  we  never  use,  and  take  it  up-stairs. 
Come  here,  sirs,"  said  Miss  GafT,  immediately,  bring- 
ing the  dogs  out  to  turn  aside  any  grateful  speeches, 
"  now  sit  up  !  " 

They  all  set  on  their  haunches,  the  Newfoundland, 
the  lubber,  the  hound,  the  Spitz,  the  terrier  and  Wix. 
Their  fore  paws  hung  down  helplessly  and  their  tails 
moved  in  meek  chorus.  She  gave  a  little  speech  on 
the  duties  of  dogs  in  civilized  communities,  and  dis- 
missed them  with  a  pat  upon  the  head  of  each,  and 
they  went  to  their  kennel  to  be  fed  by  Minnie.  Miss 
Gaff  took  the  children  back  into  the  parlor,  and  hav- 
ing noticed  that  they  could  examine  curiosities  with- 


262  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

out  handling  or  injuring  them,  she  begun  a  little 
business  chat  with  Altie.  She  liked  the  girl's  fresh, 
lady-like  appearance.  Allie  was  now  twenty,  but 
looked  much  younger;  the  school-room  had  given 
her  manners  a  certain  precision,  but  country  freedom 
and  the  constant  company  of  the  rest  of  the  Bunch 
had  kept  her  face  undinted  and  unfaded. 

"  I  have  two  people,  "  said  Miss  Gaff  :  "  Minnie, 
and  Jacob,  my  coachman.  His  room  is  in  the  base- 
ment, and  he  takes  care  of  himself.  Minnie  does 
the  laundry-work  in  another  part  of  the  basement. 
She  is  a  good  girl  and,  not  very  wasteful ;  but  I  need 
some  one  to  oversee  the  house  all  the  time.  I  don't 
like  her  to  touch  this  room  except  when  I  am  by ; 
she  has  no  idea  of  the  value  of  a  collection.  Do  you 
see  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  said  Atlie  timidly. 

"  Well,  I  have  my  dresses  done  out  of  the  house, 
always.  But  I  never  get-  a  morsel  of  time  for  plain 
sewing  and  the  house  suffers  for  it.  I'll  show  you  my 
rooms, "said  Miss  Gaff;  which  she  did.  Her  own 
chamber  was  a  sort  of  gymnasium,  with  trapezes,  In- 
dian clubs,  dumb-bells  and  health-lift.  "I  take  ex- 
ercise before  I  dress,  in  the  morning,  "  she  explained, 
"after  my  bath." 

There  were  besides  her  private  rooms,    a  kitchen 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  Fry.  263 

and  pantries,  the  dining-room,  a  store  room  and  Min- 
nie's bed-chamber.  All  of  these  were  abundantly 
furnished.  Allie  was  to  sleep  up-stairs  with  her  sis- 
ter, which  pleased  her,  but  the  rest  of  her  life  was 
to  be  below. 

"  I  don't  want  you  to  imagine,  "  said  Miss  Gaff, 
"  that  you  must  stay  close  here,  like  a  prisoner.  Only 
keep  a  supervision  of  everything  —  as  if  it  \\ereyour 
house  instead  of  mine.  " 

Sweet  Alice  began  to  feel  solid  satisfaction  in  the 
prospect.  She  received  keys  and  a  set  of  account 
books,  and  declared  herself  ready  to  begin  next  day, 
for  the  Bunch's  domestic  affairs  were  in  a  state  which 
her  presence  could  not  help  ;  and  Loo  was  the  trained 
housekeeper. 

Jack  groped  for  an  ottoman  and  pushed  it  up  in 
front  of  Miss  Gaff. 

"  I  wish  our  other  two  children  were  here,"  said 
he,  "  and  I  wish  I  could  see  you. "  His  tone  was 
one  of  such  undisguised  admiration  that  Miss  Gaff 
laughed. 

"  I  want  to  examine  your  eyes,  my  son,  first  thing 
in  the  morning.  You're  going  to  Dr.  Marlowe's  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am.  " 

"  He's  very  good  — very  good  in  his  specialty.  I'll 
drive  you  round  there  when  I  start  on  my  rounds, 
and  get  his  opinion." 


264  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  You're  real  good,"  said  Jack. 

"  I  wish  Maud  and  Rheem  could  see  these,  "  Loo 
was  remarking,  uncertain  whether  they  should  ever 
again  have  the  entree  of  this  museum-parlor.  "  Miss 
Gaff,  "  she  called  out  mildly,  "  didn't  these  beautiful 
yellow-streaked  white  rocks  come  out  of  a  gold  mine  ?  " 

"  Yes,  "  snapped  Miss  Gaff,  pulling  her  eyebrows 
together  so  that  a  deep,  upright  wrinkle  stood  be- 
tween them,  "  that's  where  father's  money  went. 
Mines,  mines,  mines !  And  after  losing  everything 
else  in  speculating  he  lost  himself  prospecting  a  mine." 

"  How  ? "  begged  the  Bunch. 

"  Disappointment  and  fever,"  said  Miss  Gaff. 
"  Don't  speak  about  it  any  more.  I  never  talk  of  it." 
She  reached  out  and  took  the  hand  of  Arty  who  was 
leaning  against  his  eldest  sister,  and  telling  Loo  to 
"  never  mind  "  when  that  tender  hearted  girl  tried  to 
apologize,  began  to  talk  nervously  to  him  in  German, 
much  to  his  astonishment. 

"  Bubchen,  wie  befinded  sie  sich  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  said  Arty,  widening  his  eyes. 

"  Ach,  so  ?  "  said  Miss  Gaff,  laughing.  "  Sprachen 
sie  ein  lied : 

"Die  Rose,  die  Lily,  die  Taube,  die  Sonne, 
Sie  liebt  Ich  ernst  alle  in  liebes  wonne  : 
Ich  liebt  sie  nichtmehr,  Ich  liebe  " 


Miss  Gaff  and  Smaller  fry.  265 

"  I  can't  understand  that,"  said  Arty. 

The  bell  rung.  Miss  Gaff  was  in  request  to  see  a 
patient  on  the  other  side  of  the  city.  She  called  for 
^facob  and  the  phaeton  immediately,  and  had  her  hat 
and  gloves  and  sacque  on,  to  a  nicety,  her  case  ready 
and  her  remedies  forecast,  before  the  Bunch  could 
marshal  themselves  to  bid  her  good  evening.  They 
went  up-stairs  and  she  drove  off. 

" I'm  glad  the  twins  will  sleep  more  comfortably 
than  we  do,  to-night,"  said  Alice,  when  the  matresses 
were  brought  up  from  a  dray,  and  she  gazed  at  ban- 
daged Jack,  and  felt  how  cool  the  lake  winds  could 
be  even  on  summer  nights. 

Rome  and  Remus  were  at  that  moment  stretching 
their  weary  limbs  under  a  walnut  tree,  and  looking  up 
at  the  dark  sky. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

CHILDREN    OF    THE   WOOD. 

IT  was  a  fine  spreading  walnut  tree,  in  fact  a  noble 
specimen  of  its  class,  but  it  didn't  seem  to  suit 
them. 

"  If  we  weren't  so  tired  we'd  look  for  a  holler  tree," 
said  Remus. 

"  Yes,"  responded  Rome,  "  I'd  rather  be  in  a  hollow 
one.  But  bears  get  in  them,  don't  they  ?  " 

Remus  was  cross  :  he  was  hungry :  he  was  beaten 
back. 

"  I  just  as  lieves  as  not  one  would  eat  us  up." 

Maude  demurred.  "  I  don't  want  to  be  eat  up.  1 
rather  have  something  to  eat  myself !  " 

They  cuddled  quietly  awhile.  It  was  a  warm  even- 
ing in  the  woods ;  the  murderous  mosquitoes  were 

266 


Children  of  the  Wood.  267 

thick,  and  hunted  the  children  till  they  hid  clear  under 
the  spread  which  looked  like  a  collapsed  tent.  Occa- 
sionally an  industrious  mosquito  bored  through  this 
and  brought  the  blood  and  a  start  out  of  their  unpro- 
tected little  bodies. 

Rome's  mind  was  busy  with  stories  of  children  lost 
in  the  woods,  and  a  "  large  animal  bounding  out  of 
the  bushes  towards  them."  In  the  story  it  always 
turned  out  to  be  the  family  dog  seeking  them,  but  in 
their  case  she  knew  it  would  prove  a  bear  if  not  a  lion 
or  an  elephant !  If  a  rabbit  startled  the  grass  her 
heart  jumped. 

"What'll  we  do  for  breakfast,  Rheemie?"  she  in- 
quired, facing  between  whiles  their  prospect  of  indefi- 
nite fasting. 

Rheem  snored. 

She  repeated  her  question.  He  snored  louder. 
From  this  delicate  hint  she  gathered  that  the  mind 
masculine  did  not  wish  to  be  disturbed  further,  and 
she  took  a  turn  in  the  spread  and  tried  to  snug  down 
in  the  roots  of  the  tree.  They  had  two  deep  little 
cribs,  tolerably  cushioned  with  leaves,  but  the  ants 
were  there  before  them  and  came  out  and  bit  the  in- 
truders. 

"  I  can't  stand  this ! "  cried  Remus  forgetting  his 
snore  and  bouncing  out  of  his  crib.. 


268  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  Neither  can  I  !  "  cried  Rome,  bouncing  up  also. 

"  Let's  climb  the  tree  and  sleep  in  the  limbs,"  sug- 
gested her  brother,  and  she  agreed  rather  doubtfully. 

They  pulled  themselves  up  the  shaggy  trunk  of  the 
walnut,  and  when  they  reached  the  first  large  limbs 
Remus  had  an  inspiration  :  he  bade  his  twin  stand  and 
hold  by  the  trunk  till  he  fixed  what  he  meant  to,  and 
she  watched  in  wonder.  He  ripped  the  spread  down 
the  centre  and  tied  the  halves  in  tremendous  knots  to 
even  limbs,  making  two  pretty  white  hammocks.  He 
tested  the  strength  of  both  hammocks  himself  and 
showed  Maude  how  reliable  they  were,  She  crept 
into  hers  and  lay  down  in  ecstecy,  slightly  lessoned  by 
the  hold  which  a  persevering  mosquito  had  upon  her 
shoulder.  It  was  ten  feet  above  the  ground,  but  the 
knots  were  stout ;  it  was  near  enough  to  her  twin  for 
her  to  reach  over  and  touch  his  head  if  she  got  fright- 
ened, and  deep  enough  for  her  to  roll  over  without 
tumbling  out.  They  swung  like  a  pair  of  complacent 
bats  and  fought  mosquitoes  with  renewed  energy.  All 
they  needed  now  was  food  and  clothing  and  a  pocket 
map  of  the  road  to  Chicago  to  which  city  by  tacit 
agreement  they  were  making  their  way,  to  overwhelm 
with  surprise  and  remorse  the  seceded  part  of  the 
family. 

A  mother-bird  up   higher  in  the  tree,  stirred   and 


Children  of  the  Wood.  269 

scolded  her  wakeful  babies.     Rome  started  up  and 
grasped  Remus. 

"  It's  a  Bugaboo  !  " 

"Tisn't!     It's  a  bird." 

Rome  nestled  again  and  slapped  mosquitoes.  How 
fierce  was  their  droning  war-cry,  how  sudden  and 
sharp  their  attacks,  how  persistent  their  boring. 

"Let's  tell  stories,"  said  Remus,  swinging  his  ham- 
mock and  pretending  to  be  in  a  state  of  oriental  en- 
joyment. 

"I  wish  I  could  hear  Arty  make  some,"  sighed 
Rome,  "  he's  so  cunning  !  Don't  you  remember  that 
one  he  used  to  say  about  '  There  was  an  old  woman 
sat  down  to  'pin,  and  she  heard  somefin  go  boo-ah  ! 
boo-ah  !  boo-ah  !  and  she  looked  up  and  there  was  a 
great  big  bugaboo  bear.'  " 

"Oh,  pshaw!"  snuffed  Remus,  glancing  around 
the  darkened  landscape  over  the  side  of  his  hammock, 
"who  wants  to  hear  about  bears  ?  " 

"  Wouldn't  you  be  scared  if  you'd  see  one  ?  Bears 
can  climb  trees,  can't  they  !  " 

"  There  aren't  any  in  these  woods ;  they  were  all 
killed  off  long  ago." 

"  Rheemie,  did  you  ever  hear  the  story  about  the  hunt- 
er that  a  bear  ate  up  ?  When  the  country  was  new. 
I  guess  it  was  in  these  woods.  I  always  got  scared 


270  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

when  I  thought  about  it.  The  folks  found  his  boot 
and  his  gun  and  his  bed.  Oh  Rhemie,  how'll  he  res- 
urrect out  of  the  bear  and  how'll  his  head  resurrect 
to  the  rest  of  him  ?  " 

Maude  was  quite  overcome  and  shut  her  eyes,  shud- 
dering. 

"  Keep  still,"  hushed  Remus,  which  caution  made 
his  twin  grab  at  him  and  cry  out  in  a  startled  voice  — 
"  Why  ?  " 

Her  own  ears  told  her  why.  A  swish,  swish,  swish 
of  shrubs  and  a  crackle  of  dry  sticks  on  the  ground 
announced  the  near  presence  of  something.  She  cow- 
ered like  a  little  lady  snail  in  her  shell. 

"  Hullo,  you,  up  there !  have  you  hung  your- 
selves ?  " 

Remus  now  cowered  too,  half  in  dread  and  half  in 
shame  ;  it  was  John  White's  voice  ;  the  dear  old  fel- 
low who  was  always  pulling  them  out  of  scrapes,  stood 
at  the  foot  of  the  tree. 

"  I  heard  you  talking,  so  you  needn't  hide ! 
What's  that  you've  swung  up  —  that  white  stuff  ?" 

"  Our  spread,"  piped  Maude,  looking  down  at  him, 
her  heart  lightened  by  the  sight,  though  they  had  run 
away  from  his  house. 

"  Well,  what  are  you  doing  here  ?  Have  you  turned 
out  to  run  wild  in  the  woods  ?  " 


Children  of  the  Wood.  271 

"We're  going  to  Chicago,"  said  Remus,  showing 
his  head. 

"  Yes,  you  look  like  it !  '  Rockaby  baby  on  the  tree 
top,  when  the  wind  blows  the  cradle  will  rock." 
Well,  what's  the  matter  with  you  youngsters,  any- 
how ?  Went  off  without  your  dinner,  or  any  clothes 
—  kept  me  hunting  for  you  all  the  afternoon  ;  you 
ought  to  have  told  Priscilla  if  you  wanted  to  have  a 
scamper  in  the  woods ;  we've  been  uneasy  about 
you." 

"  She  said  we  were  underfoot,"  burst  from  Rome's 
troubled  bosom. 

"  Oh  !  "  laughed  John,  and  he  chuckled  awliile  un- 
der the  tree  ;  "  she  can  cook  good  dinners,  though," 
he  added  by  way  of  apology  for  Priscilla. 

"  The  rest  went  off  and  left  us,"  said  Rheem,  shak- 
ing his  head  with  some  threatening  intimation  of  what 
he  would  do  yet. 

"  And  Jacey  Dixon  said  they  didn't  want  us," 
added  Rome ;  "  and  we  had  no  clothes  and  no  money, 
and  we  were  going  to  Chicago  to  show  'em  we  could 
come  anyhow ! " 

"  We  wasn't  goin'  to  tag  'em,  though  !  "  corrected 
Remus  with  spirit. 

"  Yes.  Well,  Jacey  Dixon  usually  tells  the  whole 
truth  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  doesn't  he  ?  For  in- 


272  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

stance,  the  time  he  saw  Arty  going  to  the  old  tannery 
in  Billy's  rag-sack  ?  " 

"  I  went  my  own  self  and  asked  Mr.  Thomas,  too, 
and  he  said  they'd  all  gone  to  Chicago." 

"  And  did  he  say  they  had  to  leave  you  on  account 
of  buying  ready-made  clothes  to  send  back  ?  and  that 
Lawyer  McKay  was  to  take  you  up  to-morrow  ?  He'll 
be  disappointed  when  he  calls  for  you  and  finds  you're 
not  there,"  said  John. 

He  smiled.  The  hammocks  both  gave  an  uneasy 
squirm. 

"  Allie  got  off  at  Carver  City,  and  ran  up  street 
while  the  train  waited  for  breakfast,  and  bought 
clothes  to  send  right  back  to  you  ;  she  sent  a  note,  too. 
Mr.  Joyce  gave  me  the  bundle  at  noon  !  "  John  added, 
more  as  a  soliloquy  than  a  remark,  "  Priscilla  might 
have  made  them  some  things,  but  she's  so  busy  with 
house-work  I  guess  she  didn't  think  about  it." 

Rome  and  Remus  leaned  over  the  sides  of  their 
hammocks  with  sheep-faced  looks  which  the  dusk 
could  not  veil. 

"  Hadn't  you  better  come  down,"  said  John,  "  and 
go  home  and  have  some  supper  ?  I  guess  you  can 
stand  our  house  one  night  more  !  " 

His  thrust  and  the  rankling  of  family  troubles  quite 
pierced  Maude's  tender  heart.  She  began  to  cry. 


Children  of  the  Wood.  273 

Remus  crawled  out  of  his  hammock  and  began  to 
untie  it,  with  sturdy  grunts  at  every  hard  pull. 

"  I  like  to  stay  at  your  house  first-rate,  Mr.  White — 
(un  !) — but  I  thought  we  oughtn't  stay  there  always 
— (uh  !) — and  we  didn't  know  what  they  meant.  Ben 
said  he'd  send  word  what  we  were  to  do — (uh  !) — this 
is  hard  to  untie  !  " 

"  He  did  send  word  from  Chicago  :  Jack's  eyes 
were  so  bad  they  started  with  him  almost  as  soon  as 
they  got  the  word.  He  has  to  be  doctored." 

"  Jacey  Dixon  said  he  was  blind  as  a  fish-worm  !  " 
wept  Maude,  adding  this  to  her  general  grief. 

"  Well,  so  he  may  be,"  said  John,  gravely,  "  if  some- 
thing isn't  done  for  him  early."  He  reached  up  his 
arms  to  take  the  wandering  little  girl  down  as  she 
scrambled  backwards.  Remus  unfastened  the  other 
hammock  and  dropped  with  both  of  them.  He  and 
Rome  wrapped  themselves  up  like  Choctaws.  Remus 
hung  back  but  Maude  was  glad  to  return  to  civilized 
life.  John  White  gave  one  of  his  forefingers  to  each 
of  them,  and  these  new  Children  of  the  Wood, 
trotted  along  beside  him  as  trustfully  as  the  less  for- 
tunate ones  of  the  old  story  went  with  their  bad 
uncle. 

He  said  nothing  more  to  upbraid  them,  but  all  that 
great  mountain  of  remorse  which  they  were  going  to 


274  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

pile  on  their  family,  rolled  back  upon  themselves ! 

Said  Remus  to  Mr.  White  —  incidentally  : 

"I  hope  the  rest  won't  hear  about  —  our  thinking 
they'd  left  us.  It  might  hurt  their  feelings  !  " 

"  I  hope  they  won't,"  said  John. 

"  Do  you  suppose  Mr.  McKay  will  tell  them  ?  " 

"  Not  unless  somebody  tells  him." 

"  Doesn't  everybody  at  your  house  know  we  came 
off  ?  " 

"  I  guess  nobody  knows  the  whole  thing  but  Pris- 
cilla  and  I,  and  Priscilla  never  talks  much ;  that's  a 
good  thing,"  said  John,  slily,  "quietness  is." 

"  Yes,  it  is,"  said  Remus. 

"Now  I'll  tell  you  what  to  do.  You  can  slip  in 
the  front  way ;  the  bundle  of  things  is  on  the  settee. 
You  can  pick  them  out  and  put  them  on  before  you 
come  to  supper.  They're  waitin'  supper  for  me,  and 
the  rest'll  all  be  on  the  back  porch,  or  about.  And 
we  needn't  say  that  you  took  off  my  coat  and  pants 
and  Priscilla's  things,  for  fear  of  s'iling  them  before 
3'ou  started  on  your  ramble  !  " 

Rome  rubbed  her  cheek  against  the  big  forefinger 
which  led  her  and  said,  "  You're  the  loveliest  man  I 
ever  saw  in  the  world  !  " 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

JIPPETY. 

The  rest  of  the  Bunch  did  not  hear  of  the  twins' 
distrust  and  flight,  therefore,  until  they  burst  into 
Miss  Gaff's  top  flat  and  told  it  themselves !  go 
ing  from  one  member  of  the  family  to  another  with 
kisses  and  penitent  squeezes.  Mr.  McKay  brought 
them  to  the  street  door  and  left  them  :  he  was  too 
busy  to  climb  up  and  see  his  wards  that  day,  and 
they  were  glad  of  it  when  they  considered  the  un- 
furnished state  of  their  rooms.  He  told  Allie  the 
two  young  children  came  over  the  road  for  nothing, 
when  she  offered  their  fare  to  him  ;  and  assuring  her 
he  would  look  in  on  the  Bunch  the  next  time  he 
came  up,  he  hurried  off. 

Like  bees  in  a  bee-hive,  the  Bunch  fell  to  system- 
275 


I 

276  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

atic  work.  Ben  was  employed  in  building :  but 
before  he  had  been  in  the  city  many  weeks  his  ambi- 
tion took  definite  shape.  He  meant  to  learn  archi- 
tecture ;  the  architect  under  whom  he  was  working 
proved  a  friend  to  him,  and  though  all  he  could  then 
earn  was  scant  for  the  family  emergencies,  he  looked 
forward  to  a  career  of  satisfaction  and  success.  All 
his  spare  time  he  put  upon  his  favorite  study  ;  he  had 
the  free  use  of  the  architect's  office,  evenings,  and 
it  never  saw  a  more  earnest  thinker  and  planner  than 
Ben.  He  got  himself  opportunities  to  see  the  best 
buildings  in  the  city;  he  was  always  going  about  with 
pencil  and  paper  in  his  hands  or  just  inside  his  vest 
pocket.  Loo  did  her  best  with  the  home  ;  her  work 
was  lightened,  too,  by  so  many  conveniences.  By  de- 
grees the  necessary  furniture  came  in,  then  a  rug  or 
two.  Miss  Gaff  forced  bed-clothing  upon  them  until 
they  could  buy  some  ;  the  boy's  room  was  made  cosy  ; 
then  the  girls  added  comforts  to  their  own  ;  so  by 
stages  they  got  another  comfortable  footing  in  life. 

The  first  time  Remus  went  to  look  at  the  city  he 
felt  as  if  he  had  come  into  a  fortune.  A  new  indus- 
try rose  up  before  him.  Of  course  he  and  Maude 
were  sent  to  one  of  the  ward  schools,  but  there  were 
the  mornings  and  evenings  —  and  the  morning  and 
evening  papers  !  He  set  up  as  a  newsboy  ;  his  pink 


Jippety.  277 

cheeks  and  bright  eyes  and  crisp  business  manner 
gained  him  customers;  there  were  business  men 
whom  he  regularly  waylaid  and  who  regularly  bought 
t  his  paper.  Maude  felt  a  thrill  of  pride  when  she 
heard  his  voice  ring  out  in  the  street :  "  Inter-Ocean, 
sir  ?  —  Journal  ?  have  a  paper  ?  Here's  your  Inter- 
Ocean,"  &c.  The  little  fellow  paid  a  regular  weekly 
sum  into  the  family  fund,  and  kept  some  nice  ten- 
cent  pieces  over.  It  was  well  he  could  help,  for  Allie 
could  only  give  them  the  rent  now,  a  help  they  did 
not  feel,  never  having  paid  rent  in  their  lives,  and 
Jack  was  in  darkness. 

Poor  Jack  was  driven  by  Miss  Gaff  according  to 
her  promise,  to  the  oculist's  the  very  next  day  after 
his  arrival.  The  doctor  did  not  say  very  much,  but 
shook  his  head  at  Miss  Gaff.  Jack  was  jolly,  but  it 
did  not  suit  his  temperament  to  sit  and  be  waited  on, 
or  to  be  led  "  like  an  old  blind  beggar  "  by  one  of  the 
Bunch  to  the  oculist's  for  treatment. 

"  Get  me  a  little  dog  and  string,"  said  Jack,  "  and 
a  tin  cup  for  the  pennies.  '  Pity  a  poor  blind  man, 
good  people  !  This  helpless  being  with  a  family  of 
six  children  dependent  upon  him,  was  blown  up  in  a 
powdermill  and  came  down  without  eyesight ! ' ' 

After  some  days  he  was  made  to  lie  still  all  day 
long  in  a  darkened  room,  and  dieted  sparely.  Then 


278  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

Arty  played  around  him  and  probably  kept  him  from 
despairing.  Maude  came  in  and  told  him  the  won- 
derful things  which  happened  at  school ;  Remus  pic- 
tured the  glories  of  journalism  (/.  e.,  the  selling  of 
the  journals)  ;  Ben  talked  architecture  to  him ;  Loo 
told  him  when  the  lake  looked  particularly  blue  in  the 
glimpse  she  had  of  it  over  the  housetops  :  Allie  came 
up-stairs,  put  her  arm  under  his  dear,  old  aching 
head  and  gave  him  his  dinner  with  a  spoon.  And 
Miss  Gaff  was  a  whole  host  of  entertainers ;  Jack  re- 
joiced when  he  heard  her  coming,  snapping  guitar 
strings  in  her  throat — an  inimitable  habit  she  learned 
when  a  child.  She  thought  of  a  hundred  ways  to  di- 
vert him. 

"  If  I  turn  out  blind,"  said  he,  "  I  don't  know  of  any- 
thing I  can  do  except  grind  an  organ,  with  Arty  for  a 
monkey.  Will  you  go  and  be  monkey  for  Jacky, 
my  man  ?  " 

Oh,  yes,  Arty  would  be  monkey. 

"  I  can  telegraph,"  said  Jack  ;  "  I  can  read  dis- 
patches by  ear  easy  enough,  and  work  the  machine 
with  my  eyes  shut.  I  wish  I  had  a  battery  here." 

Miss  Gaff  brought  up  to  him  not  a  battery,  but  a 
small  patent  machine  on  which  he  could  tap  messages 
and  keep  in  practice.  This  pleased  him  so  much  that 
she  meditated  on  putting  a  real  battery  within  his 


yippety.  279 

reach,  for  at  that  time  she  had  her  own  opinions  about 
Jack's  ever  being  able  to  see  again. 

She  gathered  the  Bunch  on  the  first  Sunday  of  their 
settlement  under  her  wing  —  or  rather  over  her  head, 
and  carried  them  to  her  church  and  Sabbath -school. 
There  might  be  other  places  of  worship  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  but  Miss  Gaff  would  have  none  of  them. 
By  her  gardening  hand  the  Dogberry  Bunch  were 
carefully  planted  in  that  church  and  watered  with  Bi- 
ble lessons  every  Sunday.  She  was  very  learned  in 
Bible  lore  and  a  person  of  great  influence  in  the  church, 
and  they  were  very  glad  to  get  into  such  a  Sabbath 
family  party,  instead  of  venturing,  shy,  unstylish  and 
lonely,  into  the  great  rich  churches  to  worship. 

As  soon  as  Alice  had  time  to  collect  her  thoughts 
and  sit  down  for  a  comfortable  half-hour  undisturbed, 
she  wrote  to  Joslyn  at  Hot  Springs,  telling  him  all  that 
had  befallen  her  house,  and  the  changes  in  their  base 
and  prospects.  But  she  added,  she  had  great  hopes 
of  Jack's  eyes,  and  Ben  was  happier  than  ever  before 
in  the  chances  before  him,  and  Loo  thought  gas,  and 
hot  and  cold  water  in  the  house  were  so  nice,  and 
Rheem,  the  dear  little  fellow,  had  taken,  of  his  own 
accord,  to  selling  papers,  and  both  he  and  Maude 
were  improving  faster  in  those  graded  schools  than 
she  ever  imagined  possible,  while  Arty  was  growing 


280  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

so  nicely,  and  was  full  of  wonder  and  interest  in  every- 
thing. As  for  herself,  she  never  knew  how  tired  she 
was  of  the  school-room  until  she  left  it  to  be  Miss 
Gaff's  housekeeper.  And  Miss  Gaff  was  so  nice  !  It 
was  a  wonder  how  many  nice  people  there  were  in 
the  world  !  She  sent  her  dearest  love  to  Miss  Wylie, 
and  hoped  she  might  inprove  in  health  every  day : 
she  repeated  her  very  dearest  love  —  for  that  little  old 
lady  of  a  past  generation  had  a  tender  hold  on  Allie. 
She  closed  with  kind  messages  to  his  mother,  and 
gave  him  their  present  address,  telling  him  if  he  came 
to  Chicago  the  Bunch  would  be  heart-broken  if  he 
passed  them  over. 

Allie's  business  at  Miss  Gaff's  was  exactly  suited  to 
her  tastes.  She  had  a  pretty  bijou  home  to  control. 
"  Bony  "  was  not  a  pleasant  companion,  but  she  grew 
to  have  a  kind  feeling  towards  even  him ;  the  snake 
and  the  turtles  and  dogs  grew  endurable,  and  she 
was  allowed  to  lessen  their  territory ;  they  kept  to 
themselves  in  a  sort  of  Arctic  torpor,  until  Miss  Gaff's 
evening  return,  like  the  return  of  the  sun,  thawed  them 
out  to  frisky  demonstration.  Miss  Gaff  had  a  library 
of  finely  selected  books,  and  quite  a  little  gallery  of 
costly  and  exquisite  pictures.  She  kept  this  as  sacred 
as  Bluebeard's  room  until  her  confidence  in  and  affec- 
tion for  Allie  opened  all  the  doors  to  that  young  house- 
keeper. 


Jippety.  281 

Allie  superintended  the  table,  and  took  care  of  the 
clothes  when  they  came  from  the  laundry,  and   kept 
the  rooms  pretty,  as  only  a  tasteful,  refined  girl   can 
do,  and  after  some  instruction  and  experience,  did  the 
marketing,  with    a  very  great  relish  for  it.     She  de- 
lighted to   go  out  very  early  and  tread  her  way  among 
all  the  odd  assemblage  on  market  mornings,  to  con- 
sider Miss  Gaff's  taste  in  this  or  that,  and  to  plan  the 
bill  of  fare  so  as  to  secure  the  greatest  variety  at  the 
least  cost.     It  pleased  her  greatly  to  see  Miss  Gaff 
lift   her  eyebrows  over  some   unexpected   luxury  at 
table,    and    to    hear   her   exclaim,     "  Bless   us,    my 
child!    what  a   treasure!"     Miss    Gaff    sat  at    the 
head  of  the   table,  and  Allie  sat   opposite,  the   lady 
doctor  declaring  they  made  quite  a  comfortable  fami- 
ly.    She  received  a  certain  sum  every  week  for  cur- 
rent expenses,  and  kept  accounts  strictly.     On  Satur- 
day evening  she  made  a  full  report  to  Miss  Gaff  and 
closed  the  account  for  the  week.    It  was  very  satisfac- 
tory to  Allie. 

As  the  greater  part  of  her  salary  went  to  cancel  the 
rent,  to  be  sure  she  had  little  for  her  personal  expenses. 
I  have  yet  to  see  the  young  lady  who  will  admit  that  one 
hundred  dollars  a  year  —  twenty-five  dollars  a  quar- 
ter—  is  adequate  pin-money  !  Allie  applied  her  first 
twenty-five  dollars  principally  to  family  purposes.  But 


282 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


then  Allie  was   one  of  those  girls  who  have  a  talent 
for  looking  pretty  with  very  small  outlay. 

Summer  went  by  and  the  Industrial  Exposition 
opened  with  the  Autumn.  Mr.  McKay  wrote  Ben 
that  the  Dalrymple  trustee  had  put  up  an  elevator  on 
their  old  garden  spot,  and  New  Town  was  now  a  grain 
market  for  the  surrounding  farm  lands.  He  said  he 
had  examined  into  the  titles  very  carefully,  and  there 
was  no  doubt  the  Dogberry  title  was  defective,  and 
nothing  but  a  quit-claim  from  the  original  owners 
would  ever  straighten  matters,  and  from  possession 
being  already  taken  it  did  not  seem  probable  the  Dal- 
rymple estate  would  be  inclined  to  compromise  mat- 
ters. He  was  very  sorry ;  though  on  the  other  hand, 
he  was  glad  the  children  were  doing  so  well. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
JIPPETY.  —  (Continued?) 

ONE  day  Alice  received  a  letter  from  Joslyn  con- 
taining the  news  of  Mrs.  Wylie's  death.  She 
had  reached  home  before  she  died,  but  only  lingered  a 
few  days  after  they  brought  her  back  to  Danport. 
She  went  to  sleep  holding  Joslyn's  hand  between  her 
two  soft  shrivelled  palms,  and  did  not  wake  again. 

Allie  was  arranging  her  dinner-table  when  the  post- 
man rung  with  this  letter.  Miss  Gaff  took  luncheon 
at  eleven  past,  and  dined  between  four  and  five,  unless 
she  had  guests  to  delay  dinner.  So  it  happened  that 
the  doctor  found  her  housekeeper  shedding  some 
tears  over  this  letter  as  she  came  in  fresh  from  a 

283 


284  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

brisk  drive.  She  put  her  kind  arm  around  Allie's 
broad  shoulders.  She  spoke  cheerily,  with  one  of  her 
bright  smiles. 

"Why,  what's  the  matter,  my  dear!  And  I  bring- 
ing you  such  good  news  !  " 

"  Mrs.  Wylie  is  dead.  She  was  a  lovely  old  lady, 
and  so  kind  to  me.  She  was  very  old." 

"  She  developed  fully,  she  lived  her  life  as  a  woman, 
and  passed  into  ripe  old  age,  did  she  ?  Well, 
don't  cry,  my  child.  We  mourn  for  those  who  die 
violent  deaths  or  whose  disregard  of  the  laws  of  life 
cuts  them  off.  Idiots  !  "  cried  Miss  Gaff,  mounting 
one  of  her  hobbies  and  beginning  to  gallop.  "  When  I 
see  every  day  what  fools  people  are,  and  how  they 
misuse  themselves  and  entail  misery  on  their  children 
and  then  lay  the  blame  on  Providence,  it  makes  me 
so  mad  I  can  hardly  stand  it !  Where  did  this  Mrs. 
Wylie  live  ?  "  she  added  mildly,  climbing  down  from 
her  hobby. 

u  In  Danport.  Cousin  Joslyn  says  he  and  his 
mother  have  devoted  nearly  their  whole  time  and 
thoughts  to  her  this  summer." 

"  She  is  gone  like  a  ripe  sheaf  of  wheat.  When 
you  and  I  die  I  hope  we  shall  be  full  of  deeds  if  not 
of  days.  You  may  ring  in  dinner  now." 


Jippety.  285 

"Oh,  my  good  news,"  added  Miss  Gaff  as  they  sat 
down.  "  I  have  the  latest  news  about  Jack." 

"  The  doctor  thinks  his  eyes  will  get  well !  "  cried 
Allie. 

"  Yes,  but  he's  not  to  know  too  soon,  or  he'll  tear 
the  bandages  off  and  be  wanting  to  rush  out  at  his  pre- 
cious railroad  work.  I'm  glad  to  see  you  brighten  up." 

This  news  Allie  found  time  to  communicate  to  Loo 
immediately  after  dinner  and  Loo  and  she  squeezed 
each  other  ecstatically  but  very  quietly,  for  Jack's  ear 
was  by  this  time  nicely  educated.  Then  Loo  whis- 
pered it  to  Ben  when  he  came  home,  and  she  and 
Ben  shook  hands  upon  it  for  several  seconds.  Arty 
and  the  twins  were  not  there.  It  being  Saturday  af- 
ternoon they  were  at  the  people's  cheap  show,  the 
Exposition. 

It  was  the  second  week  of  the  Exposition,  and  Re- 
mus, to  whom  it  had  an  inexpressible  charm,  had 
"  done  "  it  once  or  twice  before.  The  first  time  he 
took  Loo,  grandly  paying  her  way  out  of  his  newsboy 
money  j  and  now  he  felt  quite  competent  to  conduct 
his  twin  and  the  baby  through  the  crowds.  He  set  his 
red  lips  firmly  and  told  Arty  not  to  be  afraid,  that 
great  noise  was  only  machinery  set  in  motion.  Noth- 
ing was  more  fascinating  to  Arty,  though  he  felt  safer 
if  he  held  by  Rheem's  pocket.  Some  grown-up  peo 


286  The  Dogberry  Bunch, 

pie  jostled  them,  and  one  mountainous  Dutch  woman 
almost  swept  them  down  like  sail  boats,  as  she,  a  full 
rigged  Great  Eastern,  rushed  past. 

"Here,  take  my  arm,"  said  Remus  to  his  mate, 
"  and  Arty,  you  better  let  me  lead  you.  We  can  keep 
together  nicer."  So  with  Rome  on  his  arm  and  the 
baby  by  the  hand,  like  some  complacent  pater-f ami- 
lias  he  proceeded  to  show  them  the  Exhibition.  They 
passed  rows  of  buzzing  saws  and  belted  wheels,  whole 
acres,  it  appeared  to  Maude,  of  roaring  machinery,  a 
balmy  hot-house  air  lulling  their  senses,  and- the  im- 
mense sky-lighted  roof  seeming  to  wander  and  roll 
out  new  panoramas  above  them.  The  country  chil- 
dren had  never  seen  anything  so  delightful.  They 
came  to  a  grotto  and  a  fountain,  and  Rome  could 
hardly  believe  her  eyes  ;  there  were  flowers  on  every 
hand,  and  beautiful  merchandise  displayed  in  the 
most  enchanting  manner.  There  was  a  bed-chamber 
elegantly  furnished,  with  even  a  grate  and  mantel  in 
it,  and  hung  in  satin,  lace  pillow-cases,  lace  counter- 
pane—  prettier  than  the  friend's  room  which  was  just 
finished  when  their  house  burned  down. 

"  But  I  tell  you  now,"  cried  Rheem,  drawing  his 
charges  away  from  the  displays  of  wax  dolls  and  toy 
carriages  and  every  other  desirable  plaything,  "be- 
fore we  look  at  these  things  or  go  up  into  the  gallery 


Jippety.  287 

I  want  you  to  see  the  pictures  !  My  goodness,  Rome 
you  never  saw  such  a  lot,  and  they're  nicer  than  moth- 
er's drawings  were,  too." 

"  O  Rheem,"  cried  Rome  incredulously.  But  when 
they  promenaded  the  picture  rooms  she  was  con- 
strained to  own  it. 

A  different  sort  of  people  appeared  to  frequent  the 
picture  room,  quite  different  from  the  rushers  and 
jostlers  and  searchers  they  met  in  the  great  hall. 
There  were  a  great  many  people  sitting  here  with 
catalogues  in  their  hands  and  glasses  to  their  eyes, 
silently  enjoying  or  criticising  paintings. 

The  children  wandered  through  room  after  room, 
Remus  reserving  his  grand  sight  till  the  last. 

"  Now,  come  on,"  said  he,  "  I'll  see  what  the  man  '11 
let  us  in  for,"  and  he  turned  down  a  quiet  passage, 
lined  with  printed  admonitions  to  ''go  and  see  the 
chariot  race." 

"  How  much  will  you  let  us  in  for,  Mister  ? "  said 
he. 

*'  Three  ?  —  three  little  fellows  ?  The  admission  is 
twenty-five  cents  a  person." 

"  But  we're  such  little  fellows." 

f  '"  Oh,  Rheemie,"  cried  his  twin  in  a  shrill  whisper, 
"  where  you  going !  and  spending  money  to  see  a 
race  !  Arty  might  get  run  over  and  killed." 


288  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"I  guess  you  may  all  go  in  for  thirty  cents,"  said 
the  man.  So  Remus  paid  down  three  dimes  with 
manly  precision,  and  they  rounded  a  canvas  screen 
and  entered  a  gas-lighted  room,  where  perhaps  twenty 
people  were  at  that  time  sitting  on  rows  of  chairs  01 
standing  in  groups,  contemplating  Wagner's  grand 
Chariot  Race.  Rome  caught  her  breath  :  child  as  she 
was  the  intense  life  of  the  picture  thrilled  her  through 
and  through.  A  row  of  gas-jets  brought  it  into  start- 
ling relief.  The  three  little  Berries  stood  looking  up 
at  it  with  pure  joy.  How  quaint  they  were  them- 
selves in  their  unstylish  clothes  and  clear  country 
coloring ! 

"  We'll  get  a  seat,"  whispered  Remus  reverently, 
drawing  his  family  as  he  tip-toed  forward. 

A  very  beautiful  girl,  letting  her  opera-glass  sink 
in  her  bare  tinted  hand,  watched  the  group;  her  lips 
curved  at  the  corners,  her  teeth  just  glanced  between 
them.  She  called  the  attention  of  a  middle-aged 
lady  at  her  side,  but  the  middle-aged  lady  was  intent 
on  the  Chariot  Race. 

"  Look,  aunt  Bryan  ;  do  see  this  little  boy  !  " 

"The  chiar-oscuro,  my  dear,"  murmured  aunt  Bryan, 
drawing  her  head  back  and  turning  it  one  side  while 
pursing  up  her  eyes. 

Remus  noticed  the  young  lady  in  one  of  his  inter- 


Jippcty.  289 

vals  of  taking  breath  between  his  long  pulls  at  the 
picture.  She  was  the  whitest  blonde  imaginable ; 
her  hair  the  glinting  kind  which  seems  to  sparkle  as 
the  head  is  turned ;  her  lips  and  cheeks  blooming ; 
her  dress  was  elegant,  with  a  dash  of  girlish  coquetry 
in  it.  She  was  beyond  doubt  a  child  of  the  wealth- 
iest class.  She  was  a  surprise  to  him,  like  the  Chariot 
Race  itself.  Allie  was  pretty,  but  this  young  lady 
was  wonderful.  He  looked  at  her  with  shy  delight. 
She  smiled  and  offered  him  her  opera-glass.  He 
took  it  and  thanked  her,  and  then  his  ingenuous  little 
face  grew  red. 

"  How  do  you  fix  it  ?  "  said  he. 

She  showed  him  how  to  fix  it.  He  thanked  her 
again  and  held  it  carefully  before  Rome's  nose.  And 
after  Rome  had  performed  the  delightful  feat  of 
staring  through  an  opera-glass  he  gave  Arty's  big 
optics  a  chance.  Last  of  all  he  took  a  quick  glimmer 
himself,  saw  the  black-browed  charioteer  and  his 
galloping  horses  start  out  even  more  distinctly  on  the 
canvas,  and  the  driver  on  the  inside  track  grinning 
through  closed  teeih,  the  excited  Roman  populace 
and  the  soul-stirring  confusion  ;  then  he  gave  back 
the  glass  with  a  little  bob  of  his  head  and  another 
"thank  you." 

"Little  pater  familias"  said  the  young  lady  in  the 


290 


The  Dogberry  Bunch. 


lowest  but  clearest  of  voices,  laughing  charmingly  at 
him ;  "  are  these  your  brother  and  sister  ?  " 
"Yes,  ma'am." 


JIPPETY. 

"  Did  you  notice,  aunt  Bryan,  he  brought  the  little 
;irl  in  on  his  arm  ?  " 

"  He  paid  our  way,  too,"  added  Maude,  proudly. 
"  He  did  !  he's  a  nice  brother,  isn't  he  ?  " 
"  He's  the  nicest  of  everybody." 


Jippety.  291 

They  all  turned  to  the  picture  again,  but  the  young 
lady  kept  her  side  regards  on  him,  still  smiling,  though 
half  sad.  She  had  one  of  those  faces  on  which  every 
emotion  was  pictured;  and  when  Rheem  looked  at 
her  again,  which  he  could  not  help  doing,  for  she  was 
fascinating,  she  said  to  her  companion : 

"  Now  see,  aunt  Bryan,  can't  you  see  some  resem- 
blance to  Marty  ? " 

"Ah!"  said  aunt  Bryan,  turning,  and  rustling  all 
over  —  she  was  portly  and  her  dress  very  stiff  —  "  the 
little  boy?  yes,  a  bright  eye  — healthy  little  boy." 

Aunt  Bryan  took  her  glass  and  rustled  to  another 
picture  at  the  side  of  the  room ;  not  to  examine  it, 
but  to  chat  in  an  undertone  with  an  acquaintance. 

The  young  lady  put  her  glove  on  Rheem's  little  fist. 
"  Do  you  know  who  I  am  ? "  she  said  in  a  childish 
way  —  she  was  just  out  of  boarding-school  and  her 
young-lady  airs  set  lightly  on  her  yet  —  "I  am  Miss 
Jippety  Dalrymple,  and  I  once  had  a  little  brother  like 
you." 

Remus  did  not  know  what  else  to  say,  so  he  bobbed 
his  head  again  and  said  to  her,  all  so  bashfully: 

"  How  do  you  do  ? " 

"  '  How  do  you  do  ! '  hear  the  little  fellow ;  you 
dear  pretty  boy !  How  old  are  you  ?  " 

"  Nine,"  and  he  added  modestly,  lecling  that  his 


292  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

card  was  called  for,  "my  name's   Rheem   Dogberry." 

"  Marty  would  have  been  nine." 

"  What's  become  of  him,  ma'am  ?  " 

"  Dead."  Miss  Jippety  swallowed  with  a  little 
'  gasp,  and  the  tears  rushed  to  her  eyes.  "  A  little 
fellow  in  pants  and  kilts  ;  always  called  me  Jippety  — 
my  name's  Jasper  —  he's  gone  —  I  never  can  have  my 
brother  again  —  oh!  the  little  darling  !  the  little  dar- 
ling!" Her  fair  face  filled  with  blood;  she  bit  her 
lip  hard. 

Rome  and  Remus  looked  piteously  at  each  other. 

"I  never  can  get  over  it,"  said  Miss  Jippety, 
regaining  self-control.  "  I  rather  have  him  with  me 
than  to  have  everything  else  I  want.  If  I  had  a  little 
brother  like  you  I  should  be  the  happiest  girl  in  the 
world." 

Rome  linked  her  arm  in  Remus's,  as  if  to  prevent 
Miss  Jippety  from  kidnapping  him. 

He  considered;  he  did  not  know  what  to  say  to 
comfort  her.  A  bright  idea  struck  him  : 

"Our  house  burnt  down.  I'd  hated  it  awfully  if 
any  of  the  children  had  been  burnt  up.  As  it  was, 
Jack's  eyes  were  burnt." 

Miss  Jippety  wiped  her  eyes  and  tried  to  smile 
again.  "  Ah  !  Is  Jack  your  brother  ?  I'm  sorry  he  is 
hurt." 


Jippety  293 

"Yes,  ma'am.  I  have  three  brothers  and  three 
sisters." 

"  Seven  !     What  a  gay  family  you  must  be  !  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am ;  we  always  had  pretty  good  times." 

"  And  do  you  play  papa  to  all  of  them  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no  ;  they're  nearly  all  older  than  I  am.  Ben 
plays  the  papa." 

"  Why,  haven't  you  father  and  mother  ? " 

"No,  'm." 

"  Neither  have  I." 

"We  got  along  very  well,  though,"  continued  Remus, 
who  now  felt  very  confidential  towards  Miss  Jippety, 
"  till  our  lots  were  taken  away  from  us  and  our  house 
caught  fire  and  burned  down  just  when  we'd  put  an 
addition  to  it,  and  -raised  the  kitchen  and  all !  " 

"  Why,  who  took  your  lots  ?  where  were  they  ?  " 

"  In  New  Town.  And  I  think  it  was  a  minor  heir, 
Mr.  McKay  said,  that  took  them  and  put  up  an 
elevator  on  one  of  them." 

"  What  minor  heir  ?"  asked  Jippety,  opening  her  eyes. 

"  It  was  a  minor  heir  that  had  the  best  title,"  put 
in  Rome,  "  our  father  paid  money  for  the  land,  but 
the  other  folks  had  the  best  title ;  and  we  can't  ever, 
ever  get  it  back  unless  the  other  folks  give  us  a  — 
what  is  that  we  put  in  our  letter  to  Joslyn,  Rheemie  ?  " 

"  A  quit-claim." 


294  T?ie  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  Yes,  a  quit-claim." 

The  murmur  of  their  voices  disturbed  several  people 
in  the  room,  who  turned  their  heads  to  look  at  the 
group  of  children  and  the  young  lady.  She  sat  in 
silence  with  her  brows  puckered,  and  seemed  to  be 
thinking. 

"They  built  an  elevator  on  your  lots,  did  they?  " 
she  whispered  again  presently.  "  What  is  the  name 
of  the  minor  heir  who  took  them  from  you  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,"  whispered  back  Remus  ;  "  I  heard 
but  I  forget." 

"And  where  are  the  lots?  In  New  Town  ?  —  this 
State  ? " 

"Yes,  ma'am." 

"  And  your  name  is  —  it  seems  as  if  it  must  be 
Marty,  your  face  is  so  like  his." 

"My  name's  Rheem  Dogberry,  and  my  sister's 
name's  Maude,  and  my  little  brother's  is  Arthur. 
We  lost  him  once.  He  ran  off  and  got  hurt." 

"  I  didn't  like  it  at  all,"  said  Arthur  solemnly. 

"  And  what  did  you  do  after  you  lost  your  house  ?  " 
pursued  Miss  Jippety,  returning  to  the  subject  of  the 
lots ;  "  did  you  have  plenty  of  property  besides  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  ma'am  ;  we  hadn't  anything,  except  four 
hundred  dollars  that  belonged  to  Rome  and  me,  and 
Jack's  hundred.  But  the  rest  wouldn't  use  that.  So 


Jippety.  295 

we  came  up  here  to  Chicago  and  got  rooms  and  went 
to  work." 

"Bless  it!  how  mannish  it  is,"  said  Jippety,  pat- 
ting his  smooth  temple.  "  Are  you  going  to  stay  here 
awhile  longer  ? " 

"  Till  Rome  and  Arty  get  tired  of  looking  at  the 
Chariot  Race,  /never  get  tired  of  it." 

He  fell  to  enjoying  it  once  more,  as  Miss  Jippety, 
keeping  her  eye  still  on  the  children,  crossed  the 
room  and  murmured  with  her  aunt. 

"Jasper,  my  dear,"  said  aunt  Bryan,  speaking 
nearly  aloud,  "  what  freak  have  you  taken  ?  " 

"  His  face  is  like  Marty's,  aunt.  And  it  must  be 
the  very  same  elevator  uncle  was  telling  us  about. 
And  they  had  nothing  except  those  lots." 

"  But  your  uncle  is  a  man  of  business,  and  he  knows 
what  is  right." 

"  Their  father  paid  for  them,  and  it  seems  so  cruel 
they  should  be  obliged  to  give  up  their  own  for  a 
mere  flaw  in  papers." 

"Now,  Jasper,  my  dear,  you  don't  know  anything 
at  all  about  it.  Consult  with  your  uncle  when  you  go 
home,  and  don't  let  your  impulses  run  away  with  you." 

"  I  shall  be  eighteen  in  a  month,  aunt,  and  then 
I'm  going  to  give  those  children  a  quit-claim  for  their 


296  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

lots.     /  dont  want  their  lots.     What  do  I  care  for  a 
trumpery  grain-elevator  ! " 

"  I  presume  your  uncle  will  care  if  he  has  invested 
money  for  you  in  it.  But  there  !  do,  child,  control 
your  impulses." 

"  I  will,  aunt ;  I'll  tell  them  I'll  clear  their  title,  so 
my  word  will  be  pledged,  and  I  sha'n't  have  any 
impulse  to  forget  it." 

She  went  to  Remus  and  put  her  hands  on  his 
shoulders :  "  My  name  is  Jippety  Dalrymple.  I 
didn't  know  about  your  land  before,  but  I  presume  2 
am  the  minor  heir,  for  whom  it  has  been  claimed.  I 
shall  be  eighteen  in  a  month,  however,  and  then  I'll 
give  you  that  quit-claim  —  or  whatever  it  is — so  your 
family  will  get  their  own  again.  Won't  you  kiss  me 
for  my  little  brother  Marty's  sake  ?  " 

Remus  flushed  to  his  scalp,  but  he  put  his  arms 
and  lips  up  and  kissed  her  heartily. 

"  Ah,  what  a  nice  little  brother  you  are  ! " 

"  But  how  much  must  we  pay  ?  "  cried  he,  eagerly. 

"  Nothing  —  nothing  —  it  shall  all  be  fixed  up  com- 
fortably." 

"  But  we  want  to  do  the  fair  thing !  "  urged  Reemie, 
in  a  tremble  of  delight.  "I  never  had  any  notion 
you  was  a  minor  heir." 

Miss  Jippety  laughed  her  pretty  laugh  again.     She 


Jeppety  297 

shook  hands  with  Maude  and  also  with  Arty;  but 
she  was  a  partial  little  lady,  and  gave  Remus  nearly 
her  entire  regards. 

"Well  you  shall  do  the  fair  thing — you  always 
would  do  the  the  fair  thing,  Marty  —  "  and  with  one 
last  little  pat  she  rustled  off  beside  her  aunt. 

"  O  Rome  !  "  said  Remus. 

"  O  Rheem  !  "  said  Rome. 

Then  they  both  said,  "O  Arty!"  and  Arty  said, 
"  O,  what ! " 

"  Why,  that  lady's  going  to  give  us  our  lots  back  ! 
My  gracious,  won't  the  rest  of  'em  be  glad  ! " 

Miss  Jippety  came  back,  more  beautiful  still  for 
being  in  a  hurry,  and  therefore  more  vivid  in  eyes 
and  lips,  and  said,  bending  over  the  back  of  the  seat : 

"  Will  you  give  me  your  street  and  number  ?  " 

"  Yes  'm  ; "  exclaimed  Remus,  eagerly,  "  come  and 
see  us,  do  ! "  She  smiled  at  his  hearty  country  ways 
as  she  made  a  memorandum  of  his  address. 


CHAPTER  XXT. 

LIGHT    AT    LAST. 

"  "^  TES  ?  "  said  Miss  Gaff  when  Rome  and  Rheem 
JL  and  Arty  rushed  in  upon  her  and  Alice 
with  this  news.  "  But  don't  count  on  it  too  much." 

"She  said  she  could  do  it,  Miss  Gaff!  We  never 
knew  it  was  the  minor  heir !  " 

"  Those  children  are  always  tumbling  into  good 
fortune,"  said  Allie. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Miss  Gaff.  "  She  gushed.  It's 
easy  enough  to  gush,  but  people  change  their  minds, 
and  there  are  her  aunt  and  uncle  who  will  probably 
influence  her  against  giving  up  what  she  might  keep. 
It's  a  selfish  world  !  " 

"  You  aren't  selfish,  Miss  Gaff." 

"  Me  ?  yes,  I  am  —  selfish  as  I  can  be." 

"  But  you're  lovely  to  us." 

"That's  because  I  like  you.  If  I  didn't  like 
298 


Light  at  Last  299 

you  I'd  shovel  you  out  of  the  house  in    no    time  !  " 

"  I  like  selfish  people,"  said  Rheem. 

It  was  several  weeks  afterwards  that  Loo  in  her 
kitchen  was  compounding  a  lovely  soup  for  dinner. 
Ben  could  not  come  home  in  the  middle  of  the  day, 
so  their  meals  up-stairs  had  gradually  settled  into 
breakfast,  lunch  at  noon,  ;;nd  dinner  at  six  o'clock. 
By  that  time  all  the  Bunch  clustered  in.  Jack  was 
there  the  greater  part  of  the  day  to  be  sure  :  but 
even  Jack  took  his  outings  with  his  head  tied  up. 
Loo  walked  him  down-stairs,  and  up  and  down  various 
streets.  Jack  and  Loo  were  more  united  than  form- 
erly. Of  course  Arty  always  walked  at  his  right 
hand  and  Qhatted  about  everything.  But  Jack's  tall 
sister  was  very  companionable,  very  sweet.  Her  arm 
through  his  was  gentle ;  her  voice  had  pretty 
cadences  in  it.  Jack  felt  how  womanly  she  was  and 
remarked  : 

"  Loo,  I  bet  you're  getting  better  looking  than 
Sweet  Alice." 

Loo  laughed  :  a  ripple  laugh  like  the  undulations 
of  her  figure. 

"I  don't  see,"  said  Jack,  "how  you  can  do  so 
much  work  and  take  such  care  of  the  whole  tribe  and 
have  time  to  get  pretty.  I  thought  the  pretty  girls 


300  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

were  the  ones  that  kept  fussing  with  themselves  all 
the  time." 

"  It's  well  you're  bandaged  Jack,  or  you  wouldn't 
admire  me  so  much." 

"  I  wish  I  could  take  these  bands  off  and  try  to 
see  —  believe  I  could 'use  my  eyes  a  little  !  " 

"  Don't  do  it  for  the  world  !  "  exhorted  Lucy,  and 
from  that  time  she  watched  him  very  narrowly.  If 
his  impatient  hands  even  went  to  his  head,  Loo 
thought  of  some  funny  thing  to  tell  him  which  in- 
stantly diverted  his  mind  from  sight  to  hearing. 

It  was  now  November  weather,  sharp  and  clean 
Loo  could  see  the  lake  tossing  and  masts  rocking, 
as  she  made  up  her  soup.  Jack  and  Arty  had  fol- 
lowed her  into  the  kitchen,  Jack  on  a  camp-chair 
which  Ben  made  for  him,  and  Arty  so  close  he  might 
almost  be  said  to  be  upon  Jack's  elbow.  Jack  telt 
the  knife  with  which  she  chipped  the  vegetables,  the 
smooth  top  of  the  table,  the  long,  sleeved,  pocketed, 
tied-back  calico  apron  in  which  Loo  worked,  and 
which  she  hung  in  the  kitchen  closet  when  she  came 
to  the  head  of  the  table  in  her  neat  alpaca. 

"  Lucy,  do  you  ever  get  tired  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do,  Jack-straws." 

"  What  puzzles  one  is  how  you  can  keep  everything 
going  so,  and  plan  and  manage  as  Ben  says  you  can, 


Light  at  Last.  301 

and  not  wear  out !     Do  you  love  to  keep  house  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  do,"  said  Loo  j  "  I  love  to  see  every- 
thing in  order  and  everybody  comfortable.  A  spoilt 
dish  or  an  ugly  room  just  hurts  me.  Why,  1  believe 
I  could  keep  twice  as  many  rooms  as  ours,  but  one 
has  to  think  ahead.  I  know  what  we're  going  to 
have  for  dinner  next  Friday,  and  I  have  my  break- 
fasts planned  for  all  next  week." 

"  I  tell  you  what,"  cried  Jack,  "  if  you  get  your 
deserts  you'll  marry  a  nabob  with  a  big  house  and 
everything  nice  in  it,  and  then  you'll  entertain  peo- 
ple royally,  and  I'll  have  a  standing  invitation  ;  but 
won't  you  hate  to  have  a  poor  old  blind  man  sitting 
in  the  corner,  with  a  shingle  pinned  in  front  of  him 
saying,  *  Please  pity  the  afflicted  ? '  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  laughed  Loo  ;  "  for  if  I  marry  such 
an  old  fellow  it's  likely  he  will  have  the  rheumatism 
or  be  a  chronic  invalid,  and  I  can  nurse  you  both 
together!" 

The  door  opened  from  the  vestibule  and  some- 
body came  in  saying : 

"Who's  this  I  hear  talking  about  being  an  old 
olind  man  ?  " 

Jack  jumped  up.  "  That's  cousin  Joslyn  ;  I  know 
his  voice !  " 

Joslyn  took  his  hands,  and  then  dropped  them  and 


302  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

shook  him  by  the  shoulders  and  then  patted  him  on 
the  head,  then  he  kissed  one  of  the  long  slim  hands 
Loo  had  just  wiped  nice  and  clean  to  give  him,  and 
tossed  Arty  up,  exclaiming,  "  Hullo,  Metempsycho- 
sis !  " 

Before  Allie,  who  piloted  him  up,  shut  the  door, 
Ben  came  bounding  up-stairs,  and  the  twins'  voices 
were  heard  resounding  on  a  lower  flight. 

Thus  Joslyn  was  surrounded  by  the  Bunch  ;  and 
Miss  Gaff  followed  to  ask  them  all  down  to  dine  with 
her.  Joslyn  pleased  her.  But  as  Loo  had  dinner 
prepared  and  was  ready  to  spread  her  table,  she  de- 
murred, so  Miss  Gaff  was  kept  to  dine  with  the 
Bunch.  They  all  got  around  Joslyn  and  looked  at 
him  with  the  hearty  affection  he  appreciated  so  much. 
He  was  handsomer,  a  very  little  thinner,  but  rich 
colored,  magnetic,  cordial  as  ever.  They  inquired 
about  his  mother,  and  about  Mrs.  Wylie's  last  illness. 
He  told  them  how  she  had  been  taken  from  one 
place  to  another,  and  how  she  died  quietly  with  his 
hand  in  hers.  He  mentioned  in  connection  with  her 
death,  how  fond  she  was  of  Allie,  and  that  she  had 
mentioned  Allie  in  her  will,  leaving  her  a  little  legacy 
of  a  couple  of  thousand  dollars. 

The  children  turned  and  stared  at  each  other.  A 
couple  of  thousand  dollars  !  It  seemed  very  little  to 


Light  at  Last.  303 

Joslyn,  but  to  them  it  seemed  immense.  Ben  shook 
hands  with  her,  and  the  rest  of  the  Bunch  solemnly 
followed  his  example. 

"  You  are  the  quaintest  lot !  "  said  Joslyn  laughing. 
"  Now  how  much  are  you  going  to  put  into  the  Asso- 
ciation fund,  Allie  ?  " 

"  I  ought  to  put  in  a  great  deal,"  said  she  sin- 
cerely ;  "  for  we  have  had  no  surplus  to  start  a  fund 
since  we  were  burnt  out." 

"  Come  into  the  parlor,  do,"  begged  Lucy,  "  you're 
crowding  my  range  so  I  can't  lift  my  kettle  lids,  and 
you'll  be  steamed  full  of  dinner  before  I  can  serve  it 
up." 

"Yes,  come,"  cried  Joslyn,  "for  I  have  something 
to  show  Jack  there."  He  put  his  arm  across  Jack's 
shoulder  and  drew  him  along.  Allie  went  ahead  and 
let  down  the  shades  and  made  the  room  as  dark  as 
possible. 

"  I  guess  you  forget,  cousin,  that  I'm  the  organ- 
man —  where's  my  monkey?  —  yes,  here's  Arty  — 
here's  my  monkey  —  good  people  have  pity  on  the 
blind ! " 

"  And  here's  your  organ,"  laughed  Joslyn,  drop- 
ping on  one  knee  and  giving  Jack  one  arm  to  turn. 
With  the  most  comical  effect  in  the  world,  he  made 
a  creaking  in  his  throat  and  began  to  rhyme  and  sing 


304  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

in  a  melancholy  key.  The  whole  spontaneous  per- 
formance was  so  like  Joslyn  that  the  Bunch  ap- 
plauded with  ecstacy : 

"  Ki-wee,  ki-wow,  I've  tramped  to-day 
Till  my  old  back  with  dust  is  gray, 
My  crank  goes  round,  my  one  leg  quakes: 
Oh  how  an  old  hand-organ  aches  1 

"  Ki-wee,  ki-wow ; — ki-wow,  ki-wee  ! 
Have  you  a  cent  you'll  give  to  me? 
Click  I — caught  my  breath  — sweet  Spirit  hear 
My  prayer,  for  I'm  tormented  here  1 

"  Ki-wee,  ki-wow,  I  wander  round, 
The  saddest  thing  above  the  ground. 
No  monkey  trick  amuses  me. 
If  you'll  not  pay  I'll  quit — Ki-wee-e  !  " 

"  Jack,  my  good  fellow,"  said  Joslyn  leaping  up 
and  forcing  Jack  into  a  chair,  "  your  interesting  fam- 
ily are  now  around  you  ;  you  have  been  in  dark- 
ness some  months.  The  doctor  decided  at  last  to 
let  you  have  your  bandages  off  —  providing  you  re- 
turn to  broad  daylight  slowly  —  and  as  Allie  said 
they  were  to  loose  you  from  bondage  this  evening,  I 
begged  the  privilege  of  being  the  party  to  do  it. 
Here  you  are,  sir.  Can  you  look  up  and  see  your 
interesting  kinsman  ?  " 


A  MOST  MOMENTOUS  MOMENT. 


Light  at  Last.  307 

Jack  blinked  even  in  the  dark,  and  caught  his 
breath  as  the  last  wrapping  fell. 

"  Well,  I'm  glad !  "  said  he.  "  I  can  see  you.  I've 
had  some  blinks  of  daylight  when  the  doctor  was 
dressing  my  eyes,  but  it  hurt  me  so  I  could  hardly 
tell  whether  I  saw  or  not.  How'de  do  Ben  ?  I 
have'nt  seen  you  since  the  fire!  How'de  do,  Loo 
—  the  giantess  is  going  to  be  the  prettiest  of  the 
lot,  Allie !  " 

Jack  shook  hands  on  all  sides  and  the  girls  heartily 
kissed  him.  Then  he  went  about  the  rooms  peeping 
close  at  things,  and  followed  by  two  or  three  of  his 
family  who  admonished  him  not  to  strain  his  eyes,  not 
attempt  any  print,  and  to  shield  his  orbs  carefully 
when  he  ventured  near  a  window.  Arty,  who  trotted 
close  by  as  usual,  patronized  Jack  thus : 

"  Jacky,  what's  this  ?  "  laying  his  hand  on  a  broom. 

"  Oh,  a  hand-saw,"  said  Jack,  good-naturedly. 

"  No,  it  isn't !  it's  a  broom.     Now  what's  this  ?  " 

"  The  letter  O,"  said  Jack. 

"No,  it  isn't!  it's  the  table." 

"  This  is  a  pretty  good  looking  place,"  said  Jack, 
pronouncing  on  the  whole  flat.  "  Oh  !  we're  going 
to  do  glorious  things  now  that  there  isn't  a  disabled 
one  among  us !  " 

"  Jack  is  getting  up  steam,"  said  Joslyn. 


308  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  I've  been  hissing  with  it  for  three  months," 
said  Jack,  taking  in  a  very  long  and  loud  breath. 

'*  Tremendous  things  will  grow  out  of  this  house 
in  the  air  I  suppose,"  said  Joslyn. 

Loo  was  laying  the  table  in  the  dining-room,  and 
Alice  and  Miss  Gaff,  with  evident  enjoyment,  were 
helping  her. 

Jack  had  come  back  from  his  tour  of  inspection, 
and  camped  on  the  floor  near  Joslyn's  feet. 

"  Well,  we'll  amount  to  something  I  think.  Ben's 
going  to  be  an  architect.  Allie's  got  such  luck  in 
that  money  she  can  buy  herself  a  piano  and  learn 
music  as  much  as  she  wants  to.  Loo's  bound  to 
make  the  most  tremendous  old  housekeeper  that 
ever  lived,  and  I  think  Rheem  will  go  for  printing 
or  something  about  newspapers,  and  Rome  and  Arty 
will  be  celebrated  for  their  good  looks  if  for  nothing 
else!  Pm  in  for  railroading,  of  course." 

"  I  shouldn'  wonder,"  said  Joslyn  mischievously, 
"  if  I'd  tease  Allie  into  coming  and  living  with  my 
mother  and  me,  some  day." 

"  I  think  that'cl  be  just  as  mean  as  mean  could 
be  !  "  cried  Rome  with  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  We  couldn't  break  up  the  Bunch  that  way,"  rea- 
soned Remus,  seriously.  "  Oh,  by  the  way,"  said 


Light  at  Last.  309 

Miss  Gaff,  coming  to  the  parlor  soon,  "  the  postman 
has  left  a  letter  for  you,  Ben.     Did  you  get  it  ?  " 

"  I  have  it  in  my  pocket,"  cried  Allie.  "  I  for- 
got it." 

The  letter  was  from  Mr.  McKay;  and  when  Ben 
had  read  it,  he  said,  "  Well ! "  with  a  light  break- 
ing all  over  his  face.  "  Well,  well !  " 

"  She's  done  it,  has  she  ?  "  said  Miss  Gaff. 
"  Well,  that's  better  than  I  expected." 

Mr.  McKay  wrote  that  the  Dalrymple  heir,  imme- 
diately on  coming  of  age  had  cleared  the  Dogberry 
title,  and  not  only  were  the  lots  their  own  now,  but 
the  building  upon  it  was  theirs. 

This  well-to-do  family  broke  into  joyful  exclama 
tions.  One  declared  their  troubles  were  blessings  in 
masquerade  ;  another  shouted  that  it  was  splendid  ; 
Jack  bawled  "  Le's  all  go  to  Europe  ! "  Rheem 
cried  that  she  was  the  prettiest  and  nicest  young  lady 
in  Chicage  or  America!  —  if  you  only  could  see  her 
eyes  !  —  and  her  hair  ! 

"  She  said  Rheem  looked  just  like  her  little  brother 
Marty,"  said  Rome. 

"Let's  build  a  summer  residence  on  the  old 
place  !  "  cried  Jack. 

"  No,  no,  let's  stay  here,"  said  Ben,  "  where  we 
can  make  our  way  in  the  world." 


3 1  o  The  Dogberry  Bunch. 

"  Better  divide  into  two  parties,"  quizzed  Joslyn, 
"  and  so  cover  both  fields  at  once." 

The  idea  of  their  ever  being  separated  seemed 
ludicrous ;  they  all  laughed  at  it,  except  Rome,  who 
thought  of  Seth  Thomas,  and  Priscilla  White's  close 
bedroom,  and  felt  lonesome  achings  come  up  in  her 
throat. 

I  cannot  say  that  they  all  fell  upon  each  other's 
necks,  but  they  fell  to  their  dinner,  and  Joslyn  and 
Miss  Gaff  exchanged  amused  looks  as  their  earnest 
talk  went  round. 

Just  there  I  shall  leave  them,  their  paths  in  life 
indicated,  their  hearts  all  beating  as  one  heart,  their 
hands  clustering  together;  a  cosy,  warm,  ripening 
Bunch  ;  a  Bunch  of  the  truest  lovers  in  the  world. 

FINIS. 


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Bible    Stories.     By   Laurie   Loring.     4to,  boards,  35  cts. 

Very  short  stories  with  pictures.  The  Creation,  Noah  ar.d  the 
Dove,  Samuel,  Joseph,  Elijah,  the  Christ  Child,  the  Good  Shep- 
b.-rd,  Peter,  etc. 


The  Magic  Pear.     Oblong,  Svo,  boards,  75  cts. 

Twelve  outline  drawing  lessons  with  directions  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  little  folks.  They  are  genuine  pencil  puzzles  for  untaught 
fingers.  A  pear  gives  shape  to  a  dozen  animal  pictures. 


What  O'Clock  Jingles.  P.y  Margaret  Johnson.  Ob- 
long, Svo,  boards,  75  cts. 

Twelve  little  counting  lessons.  Pretty  rhymes  for  small  chil- 
dren. Twenty-seven  artistic  illustrations  by  the  author. 


Ways  for  Boys  to  Make  and  Do  Things.    60  cts. 

Eight  papers  by  as  many  different  authors,  on  subjects  that  in- 
terest boys.  A  book  to  delight  active  boys  and  to  inspire  lazy 
ones. 


Our   Young    Folks   at   Home.     410,   boards,   i.oo. 

A  collection  of  illustrated  prose  stories  by  American  authors  and 
artists.  It  is  sure  to  make  friends  among  children  of  all  ages. 
Colored  frontispiece. 


Peep  of  Day  Series.  3  vols.,  1.20  each. 

Peep  of  Day,  Line  upon  Line,  Precept  upon  Precept.  Ser- 
monettes  for  the  children,  so  cleverly  preached  that  the  children 
will  not  grow  sleepy. 


Home  Primer.     Boards,  square,  Svo,  50  cts. 
A  book  for  the  little  ones  to  learn  to  read  in  before  they  are  old 
enough  to  be  sent  off  to  school.     100  illustrations. 


Natural  History. 


Stories  and  Pictures  of  Wild  Animals.  By  Anna 
F.  Burnhara.  Quarto,  boards,  75  cts. 

Big  letters,  big  pictures  and  easy  stories  of  elephants,  lions, 
tigers,  lynxes,  jaguars,  bears  and  many  others. 

Life  and  Habits  of  "Wild  Animals.  Quarto,  cloth, 
1.5°. 

The  very  best  book  young  folks  can  have  if  they  are  at  all  in- 
terested in  Natural  History.  If  they  are  not  yet  interested  it  will 
make  them  so.  Illustrated  from  designs  by  Joseph  Wolf. 

Children's  Out-Door  Neighbors.  By  Mrs.  A.  E. 
Andersen-Maskell.  j  volumes,  i2mo,  cloth,  each  i.oo. 

Three  instructive  and  interesting  books :  Children  with  Animals, 
Children  with  Birds,  Children  with  Fishes.  The  author  has  the 
happy  faculty  of  interesting  boys  and  girls  in  the  wonderful  neigh- 
bors around  them  and  that  without  introducing  anything  which  is 
not  borne  out  by  the  knowledge  of  learned  men. 

Some  Animal  Pets.  By  Mrs.  Oliver  Howard.  Quarto, 
boards,  35  cts. 

The  experiences  of  a  Colorado  family  with  young,  wild  and 
tame  animals.  It  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  animal  books  we  have 
met  in  many  a  day.  Well  thought,  well  written,  well  pictured, 
the  book  itself,  apart  from  its  contents,  is  attractive.  Full  page 
pictures. 

Tiny  Folk  in  Red  and  Black.    Quarto,  boards,  35  cts. 

The  tiny  folk  are  ants  and  they  make  as  interesting  a  study  as 
human  folk  —  perhaps  more  interesting  in  the  opinion  of  some. 
The  book  gives  a  full  and  graphic  description  of  their  many  wise 
and  curious  ways  —  how  they  work,  how  they  hanrest  their  grain, 
how  they  milk  their  cows,  etc.  It  will  teach  the  children  to  keep 
eyes  and  ears  open. 

My  Land  and  Water  Friends.  By  Mary  E.  Bam- 
ford.  Seventy  illustrations  by  Bridgman.  Quarto,  cloth,  1.50. 

The  frog  opens  the  book  with  a  "talk"  about  himself,  in  the 
course  of  which  he  tells  us  all  about  the  changes  through  which 
he  passes  before  he  arrives  at  perfect  froghood.  Then  the  grass- 
hopper talks  and  is  followed  by  others,  each  giving  his  view  of 
life  from  his  own  individual  standpoint. 


ABOUT  GIANTS.  By  Isabel  Smithson.  Boston  t 
D.  Lothrop  Company.  Price  GO  cents.  In  this 
little  volume  Miss  Smithson  has  gathered  together 
many  curious  and  interesting  facts  relating  to 
real  giants,  or  people  who  have  grown  to  an  ex- 
traordinary size.  She  does  not  believe  that  there 
was  ever  a  race  of  giants,  but  that  those  who  are 
so-called  are  exceptional  cases,  clue  to  some  freak 
of  nature.  Among  those  described  are  Cutter, 
the  Irish  giant,  who  wras  eight  feet  tall,  Tony 
Payne,  whose  height  exceeded  seven  feet,  and 
Chang,  the  Chinese  giant,  who  was  on  exhibition 
in  this  country  a  few  years  ago.  The  volume 
contains  not  only  accounts  of  giants,  but  also  of 
dwarfs,  and  is  illustrated. 


AMERICAN  AUTHORS.  By  Amanda  B.  Harris. 
Boston:  D.  Lothrop  Company.  Price  $1.00.  This 
is  one  of  the  books  we  can  heartily  commend  to 
young  readers,  not  only  for  its  interest,  but  for 
the  information  it  contains.  All  lovers  of  books 
have  a  natural  curiosity  to  know  something  about 
their  writers,  and  the  better  the  books,  the  keener 
the  curiosity.  Miss  Harris  has  written  the  various 
chapters  of  the  volume  with  a  full  appreciation  of 
this  fact.  She  tells  us  about  the  earlier  group  of 
American  writers,  Irving,  Cooper,  Prescott,  Emer- 
son, and  Hawthorne,  all  of  whom  are  gone,  and 
also  of  some  of  those  who  came  later,  among 
them  the  Gary  sisters,  Thoreau,  Lowell,  Helen 
Hunt,  Donald  G.  Mitchell  and  others.  Miss  Har- 
ris has  a  happy  way  of  imparting  information,  and 
the  boys  and  girls  into  whose  hands  this  little 
book  may  fah  will  find  it  rieasant  reading. 


THE  ART  OF  LIVING.  From  the  Writings  of 
Samuel  Smihs.  With  Introduction  by  the  ven- 
erable Dr.  leaboily  of  Harvard  University,  and 
Biographical  Sket'ch  by  the  editor,  Carrie  Adelaide 
Cooke. x  Bos '  -n  :  D.  Lothrop  Company.  Price 
61.00. 

Samuel  Sn lies  is  the  Benjamin  Franklin  of  Eng- 
lana.  His  sayings  have  a  similar  terseness,  apt- 
ness and  f  ore  i; ;  they  are  directed  to  practical  ends, 
like  Franklin  s;  they  have  the  advantage  of  being 
nearer  our  til  le  and  therefore  more  directly  related 
to  subjects  ipon  which  practical  wisdom  is  of 
practical  ust 

Success  in  life  is  his  subject  all  through,  The  Art 
of  Living ;  a.  d  he  confesses  on  the  very  first  page 
that  "  happiL  )ss  consists  in  the  enjoyment  of  little 
pleasures  sea  -.tercel  along  the  common  path  of  life, 
which  iii  the  sager  search  for  some  great  and  ex- 
citing joy  we  are  apt  to  overlook.  It  finds  delisrht 
in  the  performance  of  common  duties  faithfully 
and  houorabl  /  fulfilled." 

Let  the  reac  er  go  back  to  that  quotation  again  and 
consider  how  contrary  it  is  to  the  spirit  that  under- 
lies the  bush*  >sses  that  are  nowadays  tempting  men 
to  sudden  for  tune,  torturing  with  disappointments 
nearly  all  wh  >  yield,  and  burdening  the  successful 
beyond  their  endurance,  shortening  lives  and  mak- 
ing them  wea  ry  and  most  of  them  empty. 

Is  it  worth  while  to  join  the  mad  rush  for  the 
lottery ;  or  t-_  take  the  old  road  to  slow  success  ? 

Tliis  book  of  the  chosen  thoughts  of  a  rare  phil- 
osopher lead*  to  contentment  as  well  as  wisdom; 
for,  when  we  choose  the  less  brilliant  course  be- 
,-ause  we  are  urn;  it  is  the  best  one,  we  have  the 
most  complete  and  lasting  repose  from  anxiety. 


MONTEAGLE.  By  Tansy.  Boston :  P.  Lothrop 
Company.  Price  75  cents.  Both  girls  and  boys 
will  lind  this  story  of  Pansy's  pleasant  and  profit- 
able reading.  Dilly  West  is  a  character  whom  the 
first  will  find  it  an  excellent  thing  to  '  itimate,  and 
boys  will  find  in  Hart  Hammond  a  noble,  manly, 
fellow  who  walks  for  a  time  dangerously  near 
temptation,  but  escapes  through  providential  in- 
fluences, not  the  least  of  which  is  the  steady 
devotion  to  duty  of  the  young  girl,  who  becomes 
an  unconscious  power  of  good. 

A  DOZEN  OF  THEM.  By  Pansy.  Boston :  D. 
"Lothrop  Company.  Price  60  cents.  A  Sunday- 
school  story,  written  in  Pansy's  best  vein,  and 
having  for  its  hero  a  twelve-year-old  boy  who  has 
been  thrown  upon  the  world  by  the  death  of  his 
parents,  and  who  has  no  one  left  to  look  after 
him  but  a  sister  a  little  older,  whose  time  is  fully 
occupied  in  the  milliner's  shop  where  slit  is  em- 
ployed. Joe,  for  that  is  the  boy's  name,  finds  a 
place  to  work  at  a  farmhouse  where  there  is  a  small 
private  school.  His  sister  makes  him  promise  to 
Jearn  by  heart  a  verse  of  Scripture  every  month. 
It  is  a  task  at  first,  but  he  is  a  boy  of  his  word, 
and  he  fulfills  his  promise,  with  what  results  the 
reader  of  the  story  will  find  out.  It  is  an  excellent 
book  for  the  Sunday-school. 

AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD.  Stories  from  The  Pansy 
Boston:  D.  Lothrop  Company.  Price,  .$1.00.  A 
score  of  short  stories  which  originally  appeared 
in  the  delightful  magazine,  The  Pansy,  have  been 
here  brought  together  in  collected  form  with  the 
illustrations  which  originally  accompanied  them. 
They  are  from  the  pens  of  various  authors,  and 
are  bright,  instructive  ami  entertaining 


TILTING  AT  WINDMILLS  '•  A  Story  of  the  Blue 
Grass  Country.  By  Emma  M.  Connelly.  Boston : 
D.  Lothrop  Company.  12mo,  $1.50. 

NOT  since  the  days  of  "  A  Fool's  Errand"  has  so 
strong  and  so  characteristic  a  "  border  novel"  been 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  public  as  is  now 
presented  by  Miss  Connelly  in  this  book  which  she 
so  aptly  terms  "  Tilting  at  Windmills."  Indeed,  it 
is  questionable  whether  Judge  Tourgee's  famous 
book  touched  so  deftly  and  yet  so  practically  the 
real  phases  of  the  reconstruction  period  and  the 
interminable  antagonisms  of  race  and  section. 

The  self-suflicient  Boston  man,  a  capital  fellow 
at  heart,  but  tinged  with  the  traditions  and  envi- 
ronments of  his  Puritan  ancestry  and  conditions, 
coming  into  his  strange  heritage  in  Kentucky  at 
the  close  of  the  civil  war,  seeks  to  change  by  in- 
stant manipulation  all  the  equally  strong  and  deep- 
rooted  traditions  and  environments  of  Blue  Grass 
societj7. 

His  ruthless  conscience  will  allow  of  no  com- 
promise, and  the  people  whom  he  seeks  to  prose- 
lyte alike  misunderstand  his  motives  and  spurn  his 
proffered  assistance. 

Presumed  errors  are  materialized  and  partial 
evils  are  magnified.  Allerton  tilts  at  windmills 
and  with  the  customary  Quixotic  results.  He  is, 
seemingly,  unhorsed  in  every  encounter. 

Miss  Connelly's  work  in  this,  her  first  novel,  will 
make  readers  anxious  to  hear  from  her  again  and 
it  will  certainly  create,  both  in  her  own  and  other 
States,  a  strong  desire  to  see  her  next  forthcoming 
work  announced  by  the  same  publishers  in  one  of 
their  new  series— her  •'  Story  of  the  State  of  Ken- 
tucky." 


